Three Day Storm
by Aseptic
Summary: It’s been storming in Shinjuku for three days straight. Ban Midou knows it’s got something to do with his old Retrieval partner. So where's Ginji? Ch.14: Open your eyes to find the way out.
1. Prologue

**Three Day Storm**

**Prologue**

**X X X**

Ginji didn't always remember the things he was supposed to remember. He got lost a lot, was terrible at lying, and he wasn't always convinced that his enemy was evil. But his instincts had always been good and when it came to the Limitless Fortress, he knew when something was wrong.

Something _was_ wrong, even if it didn't look that way. Lower Town was into the fifth year of Makubex's rule, and with it came a curious tranquillity that he had never been given the luxury of as a child. Makubex's Officers, marked by their navy uniform, were scattered throughout streets that were brimming with life. Trade was lively and there were children playing everywhere. An outsider wouldn't have seen the differences – but he had grown up in this maze, had been a sovereign once upon a lifetime. In that time, he always moved with others, whether for their safety or his own. Yet here he was, walking alone.

Life in the Fortress was not yet perfect, but Ginji knew it was better than what he could have ever achieved. Whilst he would defend Lower Town as long as he had life in him, his old friend had done what only a child genius would think to do - remove the threat of the Belt Line altogether. No-one had ever thought it possible, until Makubex found the way. Now, every day that the people of Limitless Fortress lived through without danger was another day that meant success in Makubex's name. Ginji could not help a smile at the thought.

But there would always be people who followed a darker path, seeking to end Makubex's power. Ginji had learnt this a long time ago, in his days as Emperor. There was always someone who was not satisfied, someone who did everything to bring down the established order.

They were the kinds of people that made him come to the Fortress on his own, because friends like Shido would want to beat them up, the ones like Hevn would worry… and nothing like that would help.

Ginji side-stepped a flock of children as they went running past, wishing that he could go with them. When they were gone he turned his fifth corner of the hour, feet following no particular route except one that took him inwards.

Something was wrong and it called to him – he didn't know what it was, but he'd come to find out. That was his responsibility, wasn't it?

After only a handful of steps down a new street, Ginji stopped. That didn't make sense. Someone with a better sense of direction (it was probably Kazu, a long time ago) had told him that this sector didn't have cul-de-sacs, yet here was a dead-end. He frowned lightly, turning to head back - and stopped again.

A figure blocked the path.

Two thoughts flashed through his mind before Ginji was aware of them – it was not a child, and it was not a familiar face. Instinctively, his hands curled into tight fists. Brown eyes swept across the form briskly, taking in all the details that he could - age, sex, body-shape. Recognition dawned on him like a metaphorical lightbulb. His hands loosened almost immediately, form straightening from the defensive stance he'd dropped into.

His smile was thin. This… wasn't right, even in Limitless Fortress.

"You look different," Ginji said simply, taking a few steps forward. "I almost didn't know it was you." He waited for a response but instead, his friend turned and began to walk - a glance over the shoulder became a silent order for Ginji to follow. The Lightning Lord complied easily; it never crossed his mind to be defiant. As he fell into step behind his newfound Guide, he sent a haphazard grin and a wave upwards to one of Makubex's security cameras.

Things would be okay.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	2. World's Biggest Lightning Rod

**Three Day Storm**

**#1: Bad Luck With Umbrellas**

**X X X**

It was somewhere between morning and afternoon when one Ban Midou found himself walking the streets towards the Honky Tonk. Both hands were planted deep into the pockets of his black pants, all three layers of his clothing - the jacket, the vest, the shirt under them - clung to his body wetly. It matched his hair, several shades darker from the rain and slicked flat against his face.

More importantly, it matched the sky overhead.

For three days now, Shinjuku had been storming. Day and night the lightning flashed across the sky, hard rain pouring until the gutters overflowed. Parts of the area were closed off and people who had bad luck with umbrellas (like himself) were soaked to the bone within five minutes. It was downright lousy.

Ban trudged along the footpath until a certain pink and tan café sign fell into sight. Against the dreary streetscape it glowed brightly, lit up despite only being around noon. Ban smirked. When everything else had changed in his time away from Shinjuku, the Honky Tonk almost certainly hadn't. As he crossed the street towards it, he glanced a little higher with the instinct that had followed him since he had first come to Shinjuku - Limitless Fortress, a permanent fixture on the horizon. Vivid lightning forked across the sky all around the topmost cranes, striking them so frequently the mass of buildings lit up like a God of the Sky.

Damned thing had to be the world's biggest lightning rod.

Ban would be the first to admit that he had a love-hate relationship with the miniature city. Without it, he never would have met Ginji or rid himself of Fudou... among other things. But there was something about that half-virtual world that stayed on his shoulder, no matter where he went or did. It was almost like a sixth sense – now, it was telling Ban that something was wrong. He didn't know what, not yet, but the feeling wasn't one he could shake off.

So here he was, resigned to figuring it out. Ban 'hmphed' to himself and looked away from the silhouette of the Fortress . He laid a hand on the handle of the Honky Tonk's door, and pushed it open to the familiar 'tinkle' of the overhead bell.

Ban wasn't surprised to see that like most of the vendors around here were, the coffee shop was empty of patrons. It was most likely because of the storm – but it worked in his favour so he chose not to question it.

Aware, but uncaring of the fact that he was dripping water like he'd sprung a leak, Ban shook his head roughly to be rid of the excess water. It had the exact effect he wanted - not only did it leave his hair that much drier, but it splattered across the newspaper that Paul Wan was in the middle of reading.

"Oi, oi…" the ex-thief had a frown painted on his face as he lowered the paper, shaded eyes glancing to the offender.

Ban didn't make eye contact, preferring to take advantage of the warm environment and try to rescue his cigarettes from a waterlogged pocket. He prised out one that was judged to be suitably dry. He hung it from the corner of his mouth, then finally, smirked at Paul. "Yo."

The older man sighed lightly, folded up the paper and tucked it under one arm. "Please tell me that your luck has been better with money."

Taking a seat at the bar, Ban had the grace to look indignant. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Paul shook his head and stooped for something under the counter. "I'll make you something hot."

Ban mumbled something were he another person, might have been a thankyou.

The two men settled into a silence that was companionable - they had been like this too many times worth the count. Paul would have questions on why he was in town and the man knew it, but he didn't mind.

What he _did_ mind, though, was that at the very same moment that Paul placed a mug of coffee and a plate of French toast in front of him, the doorbell tinkled loudly. It was followed by a voice that Ban had never learnt to appreciate.

"Look at that. Even snakes can't take the wet."

Picking up the mug, Ban delayed his response. He shot a narrow-eyed look to the figure who was taking a seat some distance down the bar. Ban couldn't help but notice that of the two of them, Shido seemed a lot wetter.

He felt a distinct twinge of self-satisfaction at the thought. "Shove it."

The exchange between them was so normal to Ban that it was almost like he had never left. Ban quickly abandoned that train of thought before he could think about the things he wanted to ignore. He attacked the toast instead.

Watching Ban devour the meal with a total lack of manners, Shido snorted lightly and signalled to Paul for a coffee. "Still got bad luck with money, huh?"

"Didn't I tell you to shove it?" Ban growled out around a mouth full of food.

Shido straightened to throw a cutting retort, but was silence by a magnificent strike of lightning outside. The heavy storm clouds flickered purple and the three men tensed as the air boomed with thunder hard enough to make the windows rattle. Ban examined his cigarette in a would be idle fashion, waiting for the rolls to subside before he said anything else.

When he spoke, he didn't look up. "Oi, monkey-boy. Three days, is that true?"

Shido frowned and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "Yeah," he replied.

It was uncharacteristically void of smartass comments, but Ban chose to gloss over that. The need for information was too important. He looked down at his reflection in the steaming coffee, then sideways one more time. "So where's the idiot?"

"I hope you don't call all of your old business partners that," Paul commented from the sidelines.

"I know you don't like mirrors, Mido, but even you should be able to answer _that_."

Ban snarled openly, hand clenching around his mug as if to throw it. Damned monkey making up for lost time, was he? "I'll kick your ass, monkey -"

"I don't know."

It was so straight-forward that Ban's temper was completely derailed. He had to pause a moment before he sunk back into his seat, tossing the phrase over in his head. "… What?"

"I haven't seen Ginji in a few days," Shido elaborated, firmly looking in the other direction.

Ban watched the back of his head, channelling his ire into the hard stare. "Don't you _work_ with him?"

To this, the Beastmaster shrugged. "We don't liaise every day, you know."

"But you said -"

"I know."

"Then what are you going on about?"

"I haven't seen him since before the storm started."

At this, Ban lifted his gaze to look past Shido and through the window of the Honky Tonk. Two fingers nudged his Jagan glasses higher up his nose. "So it _does _have something to do with Limitless Fortress."

Shido turned his head, giving Ban a wary look. "I thought we were talking about _Ginji_."

Ban smirked, turning back to his coffee. This looked to be a dangerous situation, he could feel his blood warming already. To Shido, he said contemptuously, "Don't tell me you haven't felt the connection between those two."

The Beastmaster tensed, shoulders going rigid. There was nothing said, though. Ban took that to mean Shido was going to brush the statement off. He was right.

"It's Ginji," Shido said, "There's always a connection between the two."

Ban smirked slightly, setting down his half-finished coffee with a soft 'clunk' against the wood. "So that'd be a no."

Shido growled, hand tightening around his own drink. "Listen, _Snake _-"

The tinkle of the Honky Tonk's door silenced him, both men looking towards the door sharply. Similarly, they relaxed at the sight of who it was - should-have-been-a-girl-Kazuki. Shido grinned, pleased at the sight of his friend, whilst Ban huffed and turned back to his meal.

Kazukiwas as dry as a bone. It probably had something to do with that umbrella in his hand.

With a smile of his own to the room at large, Kazuki sat in the seat next to Shido, leaving an empty stool between himself and Ban. His hands curled around a small cup of green tea, a murmur of thanks handed to Paul.

They sat like that for some time as the storm raged outside, lightning arcing across the sky and thunder not far behind. All of them were silent, saying nothing to each other but tugged together by a building uncertainty.

It was at the same moment when Ban noticed bemusedly that Paul's mugs now had 'Honky Tonk' stamps on them that Shido finally spoke up.

"Have you seen him?" he asked quietly, looking sidelong to Kazuki.

A slight shake of the head was enough and watching them, Ban felt his heart sink slightly. When he had left for a renewed career in thieving, he had relied on these two - among others - to look after Ginji. To keep his friend safe, to keep the fool from getting himself into trouble.

"It's something to do with Limitless Fortress," Ban said, in a voice that seemed 'too loud' for the otherwise silent café. He didn't care, though - if Ginji was missing, nothing else mattered.

Shido snorted derisively but Kazuki didn't hide his interest. "Limitless Fortress?" the Threadmaster repeated. A slight twist allowed him to spy the iconic cluster of buildings, as the topmost crane was struck by lightningagain. "You think Ginji's gone there?"

"Gone, or been taken," Ban said.

"I don't see why anyone would kidnap Mister Ginji," Shido said, a hand pulling out his wallet. "The idiot gets caught... but no-one _catches_ him."

Ban, noticing the small gesture, took that to mean he was leaving. The arrogant streak in him wanted to have the last word so he stood quickly, a hand laying down a few scrunched up yen next to his empty plate. "I'll let you know," he answered casually, stepping away from the bar.

Kazuki and Shido turned on their stools, the latter all but leaping off of his seat at the bait. "Let us know _what_?"

"Who took Ginji, why, why they took him to the Fortress... you know, that stuff," Ban waved a casual hand, sliding his unused cigarette behind an ear, one hand on the door. "Maybe I'll even hire you to 'retrieve' him."

A bark of laughter was followed by Ban's swift exit.

The door clicked shut and Kazuki spent the next ten minutes holding Shido back from following Ban out the door, no doubt to start a fight. Afterwards, though, they didn't hesitate to agree - Ban was not going to be the only one to look for their old Emperor.

**X X X**

"I should have brought a map."

The grumbled words came from a waterlogged Ban as he studied one of many little stores that resided in the Limitless Fortress. This one was, of all things, a florist - and he was sure he'd seen it twice before.

With a swish of water, Ban turned and tried a new direction. He swore it hadn't been this hard to navigate the narrow streets the last time he'd been here. But then, he'd had Ginji, the Not A Compass, so it had been a simple affair to go in the opposite direction to where the blonde suggested.

Coming to a flight of steps as narrow as the street behind him, Ban gratefully stepped out of the ankle-deep water and began to climb. Halfway up, the surrounding buildings shuddered and he held his breath as an ear popping boom of thunder rolled through the maze of buildings.

When at last it faded away Ban continued up the stairs, a hand on the wall as he went. He wasn't sure how much of this the infrastructure could take and wasn't game to wait around. Somewhere, the lightning was being grounded, but it still sent shock-waves throughout the Fortress.

It seemed that every strike was stronger than the last. Ban knew that didn't bode well for the Fortress... nor for Ginji.

He had always said that Ginji's lightning was different, and inside the Fortress, close to the eye of the storm, that feeling was amplified. Ever since setting foot in Shinjuku, his instincts had screamed, telling Ban what he already suspected - find the source of the storm, find where the power was going or coming from... and he'd find Ginji.

At the top of the stairs Ban paused to survey the wet street ahead of him. It wasn't familiar, a small fact that relieved him somewhat. Of all times and places, he had no wish to get lost. For now he was stubbornly ignoring the fact that he was already lost.

Somewhere to the left, there was a flutter of wet feathers as a crow settled on a nearby sign. Ban watched it from afar, suspicious. He was not surprised when the crow had taken off again, just a minute later. It flew down the street ahead of him and banked around a corner, disappearing from sight.

He recognised the bird to know well enough just what it meant - the Beastmaster was near, probably spyingon him. Damnit. Willing to meet his rival head-on, Ban watched his environment carefully as he moved forward. Two turns later, he came genuinely close to walking into someone; Emishi the Fresh Blood Joker.

Ban stopped immediately, just shy of an actual collision, his fists loosely clenched as he dropped into a stance as naturally defensive as Ginji's. Opposite to him, Emishi did the same, fingers tightening around his _dry_ whip.

"-_Midou_?" The redhead relaxed considerably, looking back over his shoulder. "Look who it is!"

Ban scowled when none other than Shido and Kazuki came into view, damp from the rain but not as waterlogged as himself. Both of them looked amused - and there was the damned crow, on his master's shoulder.

Ban straightened, but did not relax. "What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"I... live here?" Emishi tried, scratching his temple.

Ban shot him a dirty look, holding the scowl. "Not _you_. The other two."

"We're going to visit Makubex," Kazuki said, with what Ban supposed was an attempt to maintain diplomatic relations before Monkeyboy opened his mouth.

"Why Makubex?"

"We're following a lead," Shido butted in, patting his bird affectionately. "Isn't that what retrieval people _do_?"

It was a deliberate jibe and Ban knew it. That didn't stop him. "Think I can't find him, huh?"

The Beastmaster snorted. "You quit the profession, didn't you?"

If Shido was going to piss him off, he had to be prepared for Ban to take that bait. "I know what I'm doing, monkey-boy," he growled.

"I bet I'll find him faster than you."

"I'll take that bet!"

There was a soft tinkle of bells as Kazuki chose to step in, a frown on his delicate face. "Shido, Ban. This is not something to be gambling about," he said, looking from one agitated face to the other. "We need to go to Makubex's."

Ban snorted, but let the matter drop. Shido did the same, though he looked far from satisfied with the truce. Emishi side-stepped the pair warily. "Right," he said. After a moment, he looked at Ban. "Are you coming?"

With his fingers itching for a cigarette, there was a nod from Ban. "Yeah." He still didn't know _why_ they were going to the Boy Genius, but if he wanted to find out, he'd have to tag along. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to follow them for too long.. these days, working alone seemed to make jobs all the more smoother.

The crew moved forward but Ban lingered for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder and upwards, between the tall buildings to spy the top most towers. Babylon City.

A flash of lightning lit the structure up with a vivid flash of green. There was another shuddering boom from overhead and the group collectively winced. As it faded away, Shido brushed past them all to overtake Emishi. "We're running out of time," he said curtly.

For once, Ban didn't care to argue.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	3. An Unimpressive Lead, Pt1

**Three Day Storm**

**#2: An Unimpressive Lead**

**Part 1**

**X X X**

Ban had left Shinjuku on reasonable terms. They didn't know why – Ban was a very private person and it hadn't been anyone's business but his. Ginji had handled the departure better than most of his allies expected – arguably, starting a new retrieval service with Shido had helped considerably. The weeks and months had melted together and then before anyone knew it, he'd been gone a year or two.

Now, to have Ban back... it gave the small group an air of tension. No-one there wanted to be treated as a train station, especially not by Ban. His return was like the odd piece in a jigsaw, where it didn't fit and made everything around it uncomfortable. It also meant something was very, very wrong with Ginji. Inexplicably, Ban had always known the electric eel better than everyone else.

The journey continued with disquiet, the four fighters strung out according to their usual ways. It started with Shido, took the lead in his usual headstrong fashion. Emishi was a step or two behind, whip slung comfortably over his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Kazuki had decided to take stock of the situation and was starting with Ban. He walked next to the thief, holding silence until they passed out of the rain and into a damp stairwell where the smell of fresh mildew stung the nose.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Ban took advantage of the dry spell to light a cigarette - or at least try. The lighter wasn't co-operating and Kazuki couldn't help his smile as Ban became increasingly frustrated.

"Shido told me about the conversation the two of you had," the Threadmaster said quietly, as the flint finally struck and Ban got his cigarette. He felt those cold blue eyes focus on him and returned it with a serene stare of his own.

Ban took the time to put away his lighter and exhale a long breath of smoke before answering. "So?" he asked, with a narrow-eyed glance to Shido ahead of them.

"He said you were convinced that the storm is to do with Ginji."

"What's with the past tense? I still do." Ban looked away as they came to the bottom of the stairs and rounded a corner, sloshing into ankle-deep water.

"Of course," Kazuki said with a nod of his head. "I think so too."

"So what's your point?"

The young man was silent for a moment, glancing ahead to the backs of his two friends. "I think it's to do with the Lightning Emperor, Ban," he replied softly.

The air seemed to drop in temperature; something odd flickered through the thief's face.

Kazuki saw the reaction, but chose to gloss over it as he continued, "Ginji could cause a storm," he kept his voice low even though he knew Emishi and Shido would be listening. They had heard this theory already, so he wasn't concerned about _them _eavesdropping. It was the walls and _their _ears that he worried about. "But not one as big as this," Kazuki continued, "Three days takes a lot of strength. If it was _just _Ginji, his body would have worn out a long time before now."

"I suppose that's true," Ban said, although it sounded like he had already come to the same conclusion. Just as Kazuki wanted to ask what he was thinking, the thief added, "If the Emperor is who we're looking for, that changes things a bit."

As though the Fortress itself agreed with those very words, the stairwell flashed a muted blue from the lightning outside, and the walls surrounding them shuddered with a new roll of thunder.

As the thunder quietened Shido looked back over his shoulder, wearing a frown. "How? We're not looking for something drastically different."

"Sure we are," Ban said flippantly.

Kazuki could see the involuntary twitch in his friend and sighed to himself. Pride was a fickle thing at the best of times, and hopelessly volatile at the worst.

"Care to elaborate, snake?" Shido bit out, barely holding his temper in.

"Ginji and the Emperor… they're different, we know that. You've seen how they attract different enemies," Ban said. He had stopped walking, one hand slung loosely in a pocket as he spoke. The other held his cigarette. "Anyone would take on Ginji if they didn't know who he was, but there aren't many who would do the same _and succeed_ against the Lightning Emperor of Limitless Fortress. If you can't figure it out," he added with a shrug, "Then I'll draw you a map later. We've got company."

Ban gestured ahead casually, past his allies. Everyone turned to look, including the seething Beastmaster.

The heir to the Kakei line stood at the top of the stairwell they were approaching. His tall, broad-shouldered form was easily recognisable even from a distance. Kazuki brightened considerably, stepping ahead of the group with an extra bounce in his step. "Juubei!"

"You're a bit late, so Makubex sent me to come greet you," Juubei told the group as they neared. He didn't look particularly different, though he wore the navy blue uniform of Makubex's Officers. He still wore the visor that hid his flawed eyes – these days, they could open, but he was still blind. Kazuki could tell from the way his friend smiled that Juubei knew he was closest.

Shido threw a poisonous look to Ban before saying, "We had to rescue a lost thief."

Ban huffed, but said nothing. Not for the first time, Emishi looked as though he was desperately hoping to avoid crossfire, or at least survive it in one piece.

Kazuki sighed quietly, tapping down the first few steps past Juubei. "If it is the Emperor we're looking for, we're going to need all the help we can get," he reminded the pair, "Especially from each other."

There was merit in the fact that they had lasted this long with only sniping between themselves, Kazuki admitted that. But they didn't have _time_ for ego to get in the way, and this was not the place to settle an old score based on jealousy. If Shido and Ban didn't come to some kind of truce, everything was going to be much harder than it needed to be.

But, there was no point telling _them_ that. They'd figure it out themselves. Kazuki left the pair to eye each other off warily as he turned and continued down the stairs. Juubei fell into step behind him.

Shido huffed in contempt of the situation but seemed to yield for the moment as he and Emishi followed Juubei.

Ban let them all go. He paused to examine the Fortress' stormy skyline, scuffed out his dying cigarette, and then trailed along behind.

**X X X**

Ban had a lot of opinions. Right then, his opinion was that Makubex didn't have much of an eye for interior decoration. The warehouse like room had not changed since the last time he set foot in it, with the occasional sheet draped like a curtain over some of the metal-plated walls. However, it was completely dry - or at least, had been, before the waterlogged group brought their dampness into the room with them.

A litter of computers sat on the floor near the centre, angled like a console. Their screens threw a weird green-blue glow across the room. There was no sign of Sakura, but Ban took his cue from an unconcerned Juubei that all was well. The five of them were the only sign of life and the only movement apart from their distended shadows.

Ban scanned the room lazily, hands resting loosely in his pockets. It was during this surveillance that the door across the room caught his notice; it was as tall as the one they had just stepped through. It began to open, a thin sliver of light falling across the floor. Ban narrowed his eyes.

Something was not right in the Limitless Fortress: an ambush - or a trap - would not surprise him.

It turned out to be neither, with none other than Makubex himself standing in the doorway. The door swung shut again as he stepped deeper into the room, retying his headscarf as he went. The smile to the group was friendly, but older. It occurred to Ban that whilst it was a job that appeared to suit the youth, to be King of Lower Town was a difficult weight to carry on both shoulders.

Kazuki and Shido moved forward to present their own greetings to Makubex whilst Ban hung back, near Juubei an Emishi. Both Juubei and Emishi were on familiar territory and had no need to present themselves. As for Ban… this was not really his world nor had it ever been, so he was content to let two of the Four Kings deal with their ally.

When their hellos were over, he wasted no time in stepping forwards. "Okay, Cyberkid." Ban had a freshly lit cigarette and allowed it to hang from one corner of his mouth as he moved towards Makubex, who was now flanked by Shido and Kazuki. "Show us this lead of yours."

The silver-haired youth eyed him reproachfully. "Welcome back, Ban," he said, then turned towards his console before Ban could think of a witty response. Makubex was unusually grim as he settled on the ground. He pulled a keyboard into his lap and deft fingers tapped out the commands. The screen of the central computer flickered as windows resized and shifted, until they presented the one surveillance clip he'd wanted. The others clustered behind him.

At surface value it was nothing that surpassed the ordinary: just one of Lower Town's many winding streets. Then Makubex hit the play and the street came to life. Two or three children ran across the street and disappeared back into the world which went past the edge of the screen. None of the citizens looked anxious or concerned and Ban realised there was not a drop of water in sight. Evidently, this recording was from before the storm.

The seconds ticked by; Ban felt Shido move restlessly beside him. It was only a momentary distraction, but by the time Ban looked back to the screen, his otherwise absent friend had appeared on it.

"Ginji –"

The young man was walking slowly along the street, obviously on his own. Entirely oblivious to the camera behind him, he turned away and into a side street, the building blocking him from sight.

Ban frowned, unimpressed. "_This _is your lead?"

Makubex twisted to look at him, the smile only a thin one. "I would not bring you so far as this, for so little. Watch, Ban."

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	4. An Unimpressive Lead, Pt2

**Three Day Storm**

**#3: An Unimpressive Lead**

**Part 2**

**X X X**

So far, Ban wasn't impressed. He'd come all this way at the suggestion that Makubex had something of use for them. Well, Shido, but Ban had decided he should know too. The lead, though... well, he was waiting to see how it could be of any use. The video was several days old according the date stamp on the screen, confirming that it was from before the storm. But all that had happened was a pixellated Ginji walking past, then turning a corner.

Makubex insisted on paying attention though, so Ban had begrudgingly done so. He was rewarded as a few seconds later, Ginji reappeared at the corner, wearing a slight frown that told the audience he was lost. Ban shook his head lightly, making a mental note to chastise his friend about it later. He'd _grown up_ in there. How he got _lost_ was beyond Ban's understanding, sometimes.

It was then that someone else appeared on the screen just as Ginji turned to retrace his steps, startling the blonde. Ban tensed. "Ginji-"

"- _Ren_!" it was Kazuki who spoke, taking an unconscious step or two forwards in disbelief. It echoed the ripple of surprise that passed through Shido and Ban. If this was the last time Ginji had been seen in the Fortress... could Ren be involved?

On screen, Ginji greeted the young woman but didn't seem to get a response. Ren turned and walked away, out of the range of the cameras. Ginjiglanced up to the surveillance camera, offered a wave and a ittle smile, then followed.

Makubex tapped a key to stop the recording and set the keyboard on the ground.

"How'd you find this?" Shido asked, wearing a light frown as Makubex stood. It was a question Ban also wanted to know the answer of, so he stayed quiet.

"I like to know when someone of note steps into Lower Town. Mr. Ginji," Makubex added in a dry tone, "Is of note."

Kazuki straightened, fists curled loosely by his sides. It was the most agitated that Ban could remember seeing him, but he couldn't fault the Threadmaster for it. He and Ren had become good friends over the years, even Ban knew that. From behind, Juubei laid a hand on his friend's shoulder in silent comfort. "Where is Ren now?" Kazuki asked with a calm that Ban knew to be forced.

Makubex pursed his lips, glancing to the tight grid of surveillance screens that flickered on an adjacent monitor. They were some of the hundreds of cameras that he used to guard Lower Town with a tenacity that could not be matched. "I'm not sure," he said, "Even my system has cracks, and Ren knows them well."

It did not escape Ban's attention that the Makubex of old - the one who had first tried to rebuild Volts - would never have said such a humble thing. The Fortress had changed Makubex far more deeply than he'd realised. Ginji would have been pleased… maybe even proud.

"For her, it wouldn't be hard to vanish completely," Shido said quietly, with a glance to Kazuki.

"I can think of a good place to start looking," Ban saidurning towards the door.

Kazuki nodded, turning for the exit. "Pharmacist Gen's."

**X X X**

Ban had a new opinion: none of them had expected things to turn the way they had. In one way or another he, Shido and Kazuki had come to the Fortress to find Ginji. It seemed that the Fortress had decided to steer them in a new direction. Ban didn't like it – he had a feeling that things were going to get too complicated. But it was his responsibility to look after his old friend, so he had decided to put up with it.

The trip to the Pharmacy was shorter than Ban remembered, with less stairs and fewer turns. He didn't realise it, but it probably had something to do with both Kazuki and Shido knowing their share of shortcuts. At any rate, the three of them (Emishi and Juubei had stayed behind) soon found themselves travelling the long and thin common balcony that would take them to Pharmacist Gen's.

It was not protected from the weather and the narrow passageway had become a formidable wind tunnel that turned wet clothes icy. Ban felt his jacket whip wildly on all sides, and he kept one arm up to shelter his face. He doubted the other two were doing much better, but had no inclination to turn around and actually check. If there was a problem, he would find out quickly enough.

The door was marked with a hanging scroll that gave Gen's title and the hours of operation. It fluttered in the wind, threatening to tear away if not for the nail that held it in place. Standing in front of that door, Ban pulled out his cigarettes. Sliding the very last one between his teeth (he had, after all, been chain-smoking since running into the others), he forfeited the lighter. After the thoroughly wet trip from Makubex's, it was probably too water damaged to be useful anyway.

The signage was something Ban took to mean that business was blossoming, now that the old man no longer had to work as a covert operation. Part of him was glad: this was a man who had saved all of their lives at one point or another, whether it was through saving a person, or just someone they cared a lot for. He deserved a break.

Ban glanced casually to either side in a final confirmation that Shido and Kazuki were still there, then gave the door his best matter-of-fact knock.

Shido, trying to ignore the wind's attempts to pull him along, smirked slightly. "I didn't know snakes knocked," he said contemptuously. From the other side, Kazuki sighed softly.

Ban sent a glare from over his shoulder. "What was that?"

The door to the pharmacy opened, saving Kazuki's patience and Shido's skin. Gen stood on the other side, a couple of towels draped over one arm whilst he held the door open with the other. The little man was obviously surprised to see the three fighters, his eyes wide with surprise. "I…"

"Yo, Grandpa," Ban greeted, a dangerous edge in his tone. He shifted his weight by a fraction, tall form easily executing a subliminal threat. "You gonna' let us in?"

Gen shook his head as though lost in disbelief that these three men were suddenly his guests, but stepped back and held the door open a little more. Ban strode through first, followed by the other two. One of them sighed in relief that they were out of the wind. Gen shut the door as the three of them moved into the main part of his little Pharmacy.

Ban surveyed the new environment disinterestedly, noting how much like Makubex's Headquarters, the inside had not changed greatly. The walls were a different colour but the basic layout was the same, a small lobby-like office giving way to the ceiling-to-floor curtains which allowed privacy for his in-patients.

Brushing past his comrades, Kazuki stepped forward. "We're looking for Ren," he said to the older man kindly. "Is she here?"

Gen missed a step. The worried look on his face was one that Ban found unsettling. Gen glanced away, sight landing on a kettle that began to whistle. Perhaps evading the question, the man stayed silent as he switched it off and poured out two mugs of herbal tea.

"Gen?" Kazuki prodded, watching him with concern.

The old man didn't answer, placing one of the mugs onto a tray. Next to it was a bowl of soup – Ban guessed that it was for a patient.

"Come on old man," Ban said, openly impatient.

Gen grimaced, but the extra nudge seemed to do the trick. "Ren?" he repeated finally, "Ah, no. She's not here."

"Where is she?" Kazuki asked.

Picking up the tray with both hands, Gen sighed. "She hasn't been by in weeks," he said, "I don't know where she is."

Watching Gen turn towards the curtains, Ban took a few steps to follow. "_Really_, old man?" he challenged. His instincts were crying out that Gen had not told a complete truth. They had never been wrong.

Gen looked at Ban for a long moment, his expression carefully guarded. After a minute he turned to Shido. "Hold this," he ordered, holding the tray out. A baffled Beastmaster took it, balancing the tray easily with one hand even if the look on his face made it clear that Shido didn't understand why he even had it.

Gen crossed the room again, an eye on Ban as he approached a cubicle. Shido followed him. "I haven't seen Ren," he confirmed. Reaching up, he pulled at the curtain, tugging it out of the way to provide a kind of doorway. "I _have _seen others."

Wearing a confused look of his own, Ban followed him through into the makeshift room. It was exactly as he expected to find - a single hospital bed, a small nightstand next to it. A dark-haired young man - one of Lower Town's fighters, he guessed - was sleeping under the sheets, ignorant of his audience.

Kazuki and Shido joined him, the latter setting the tray down on the stand under Gen's instructions. Ban snorted lightly - what a well-trained house servant - and turned to confront the Pharmacist. "You got a point, old man?"

The loud tone was enough to wake the patient, a vague mumble the precursor to sleepily sitting up. Ban watched as the young man became aware of the four spectators. Brown eyes stared at each of them in turn, as though he was wondering how on earth they'd gotten there.

Then it was his turn, and the brunette opened up into a wide, excited grin.

"Ban!"

Ban felt a ripple of shock hit him, his unlit cigarette dropping to the floor, along with his jaw.

_"-Ginji?"_

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	5. Mudhead Memories

**Three Day Storm**

**#4: Mudhead Memories**

**X X X**

Ban's head was spinning in a way he knew he didn't like. He felt, rather than saw, Kazuki and Shido brush past and move in close to the bed, crowding their former leader.

"Mr. Ginji!"

"-Kazu, Shido!"

Ginji - a _brown-haired, bed-bound _Ginji - didn't seem to mind, smiling awkwardly and insisting that he was alright.

This wasn't real.

The whole thing was above and beyond what Ban had expected. He promptly decided to begin unravelling it by digging at the closest target. The thief glanced sidelong to where Gen stood uneasily, a little out of the way and under the radar. Ban didn't bother to hide a sceptical snort: like hell he was going to let this slide without an explanation.

"What did you do?" he asked, throwing no uncertain amount of threat into his tone. It would be unfair to blame this apparent change in his ex-partner on the Pharmacist, but he was leaning heavily in that direction.

Ginji broke away from the attention of his other friends, holding up both hands to try and dissuade Ban from attacking the man. "It's okay, Ban. Gen is a good friend."

"Shut up, mud head," Ban snapped out, easily falling into the role of berating his partner.

"Mud head?" the brunette repeated, looking wounded.

Ban deflated, _just _a little. "You know you look different, don't you?" he asked seriously, whilst stooping to pick up his dropped cigarette.

"… Yeah. It's weird, I feel really funny." Ginji was examining his arms as he spoke, as though they contained the solution to his peculiar state-of-being.

"You _look _really funny," Ban deadpanned, straightening again. He left it at that: despite Ginji's protest, he was still more interested in Gen's story.

Gen seemed to be equally interested in avoiding the topic altogether, moving over to the nightstand. "Here, Ginji. This soup is for you."

The brunette broke into a smile, taking the hot miso with a nod of thanks.

Kazuki settled on the end of the hospital bed, watching his sovereign with a deeply concerned expression. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah, Kazu. I'm okay," Ginji was still wearing a smile, although his attitude had taken a turn for the quiet. Ban watched the exchange curiously, noting the change and tallying it up against his gut instinct that there was something horribly wrong. With the sheer size of the storm outside, he had expected to find his friend in a rage; fighting for his life or punishing a member of the Babylon City. Yet here he was bundled up safe in an infirmary _drinking_ _soup_, whilst the weather raged outside, like it had nothing to do with him at all.

And if that was the case, why did this still feel like the work of the Lightning Emperor?

"Then why are you different?" Shido's deeper voice broke Ban's concentration, bringing him back to the situation at hand.

"I don't… really know," Ginji answered, looking sheepish as he let the (now half-empty) bowl rest in his lap.

"Did someone do something to you?" Ban asked, hands slipping to his pockets as he took a half-step back. The entire time, his eyes didn't leave Ginji's form, instead raking him over and over again in an attempt to find the answer.

_What _had happened to bring Ginji here?

There was a shake of the head from the had-been-blonde, "I don't… think so. I can't remember what happened after…" he trailed off, unsure whether or not to elaborate on the story despite wishes of his three-strong audience to know the answer.

Kazuki shifted on the end of the bed, his bells tinkling as background noise as he said with a hint of anxiety, "After you met Ren?"

"… Kind of," Ginji nodded, then paused deliberately. The three of them waited - Gen had disappeared back out the front. Ban guessed that the old man had heard this part before. Finally, the brunette smiled in relief. "I was hoping Makubex's cameras would see it."

"We wouldn't be here otherwise," Ban said, from the position he'd now adopted at the top end of the bed. If anyone thought he was doing it to be protective, none were game enough to say so.

"I guess not," Ginji agreed, "She wanted me to go somewhere. I probably shouldn't have, but… she was different."

"How?" Kazuki asked. Ban could still see the concern in him, but couldn't find a reason to scorn the Threadmaster for it. He knew what it was like to have a friend cause a weak spot in you.

He wouldn't have come to Shinjuku if he didn't.

"She didn't feel right," Ginji said, "She didn't have any happiness in her. I don't… I don't think she was herself."

Whilst the three of them absorbed this, Gen made his return. These new questions about Ren appeared to have to garnered his attention.

"Where did you follow her to?" Shido asked, picking the conversation back up.

Ginji hesitated before answering, "We went up to the Beltline."

"_What_?" Three voices were synchronised in their astonishment.

Ban was not one of them. He had only experienced that place once, but he understood the reaction from those who had spent so much of their life here. It was something you just didn't _do_, not when Makubex worked so hard to keep the two worlds separate.

"Why would you do that?" Kazuki asked, but Gen cut off the end of his question.

"Ren _took_ you there?"

"Yeah," Ginji nodded. "I don't know why. After I met Ren, everything is distorted... and blurry. I just remember getting to the Beltline."

"You don't remember anything else?"

"Well, I think I was the Lightning Lord, for a little while - I'm sorry, Ban," Ginji added apologetically, "But then I woke up back in Lower Town, here with Gen."

After hearing this, Ban wished dearly that he had a fresh lighter and a whole new packet of cigarettes. This situation was rapidly spinning out of control. He had come to find Ginji, to determine whether or not it was because of him that Shinjuku was covered by storm. He'd had every intention of leaving the Fortress as fast as possible with Ginji in tow.

Teaming up with others, searching for Ren, and now being faced with having to find out what had happened to his ex-partner _as well as_ the reason for his being like this… none of it was in Ban's grand scheme.

Unfortunately, he had too much of a spine to let Infinity Fortress sort herself out.

Kazuki seemed to have withdrawn in on himself, clearly absorbed in processing this news and counterbalancing it against his worry for Ren. Ban was sure that Gen felt the same.

Which left it to him and Monkey-Boy to do the questions.

"How did you get here?" Shido seemed to have realised this already, wasting little time.

"I don't know - I just woke up here. I was really tired, like I'd been fighting a lot." Ban didn't miss the grateful look sent to the Pharmacist, and snorted lightly. Gen had been reliable in the worst of times, he knew that. But until he knew all of the facts, Ban was not going to be trusting _anyone_, especially those connected with what appeared to be the very source of this trouble: Ren, and Babylon City - if not the Brain Trust itself.

"Hey!" Ginji brightened, turning to look at Kazu, "It's kinda' like those TV shows about being abducted, isn't it? You know, when something really weird happens and afterwards -"

Ban lashed out, clipping his ex-partner around the back of the head. "Shut up, Mudhead," he snapped, ignoring Kazuki's baffled - then bemused - expression. He turned from Ginji in order to put his attention on Gen. "This true?" He had skipped 'old man' on this round, but his tone remained the same.

He was rewarded with a slightly startled look from the Pharmacist, before he got his answer. The answer was slow - Ban could tell that Gen was picking his words with caution.

"The first time that Ginji woke up, it was here," he said. Oddly, he said nothing of how Ginji had gotten to the Pharmacy in the first place.

Ban wasn't given the chance to call him on it. "When were you planning to tell us?" Shido asked, glancing to the little man for the first time since they had begun this conversation-turned-interrogation.

Gen frowned lightly, finally showing the limits of his patience. "Forgive me, but I didn't want to bring in the cavalry until I had help."

"Help from who?" Ban said. He tried to make his tone sound curious, but from the odd look the Beastmaster gave him, it did not seem to work very well at all.

"The man who ruled Limitless Fortress before Ginji did," Gen replied. "He is late but should be here soon, the rain has delayed things a bit."

"Teshimine," Shido said, with a nod of understanding. Ban had heard the name before, and knew the importance it had to Ginji - the rest of history he could care less about. With a glance to his friend - who seemed to be keen on debating aliens with Kazuki - Ban sighed.

If it was good for Ginji, maybe it would be in his best interests to go along with this little detour. There was no faster way to get his friend out of here, after all.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	6. The Waiting Game

**Three Day Storm**

**#5: The Waiting Game**

**X X X**

Takeru Teshimine had always liked the way rain felt when it landed on his skin. It washed away all the sins, whether they were his own or ones that the world had attached to him.

Storms were just a little different, though. Ever since the Advent of the Lightning Emperor, he had never been able to associate a storm with anyone but Ginji. So it was fitting that as Shinjuku's weather crippled the district, he came stepping through the streets towards a place he had never really left.

There was an invisible boundary between the fringes of the Fortress and the rest of the city, but anyone who had ever lived in that forsaken place knew the exact moment they stepped over it.

With both hands held in his pockets, Teshimine calmly crossed that line and kept on walking, the hook of an umbrella hanging off of one forearm. He probably should have started using it when he got out of the taxi twenty minutes earlier, but Teshimine was a man of practicality. The umbrella would protect him against the rain but never the wind, and they came hand-in-hand for a storm like this one.

This close to the source the formidable weather lashed at him from all sides, forcing the man to hunch his shoulders protectively as he sought an entrance into Lower Town.

Like Ban - though he did not know it - Teshimine had sensed swiftly that this bad weather had a cause that lay deep within Limitless Fortress. Likewise, it was the peculiarity of the storm that struck him - that it was seemingly confined to just one area of Tokyo and had stayed there for days on end. The government and media could not explain it, though they tried.

Gen's message had arrived only a little while after and it became obvious that Ginji and the storm were somehow connected.

He stepped further into Limitless Fortress, ignoring the warning that the lightning flashed from overhead and the shuddering growl of the thunder which followed it.

**X X X**

Gen's Pharmacy was, for the moment, besieged by the painful task of _waiting_. It was made worse by an undercurrent of anxiety that ran through the five men who were present. It varied from person to person, but was ultimately caused by the same thing. It was uncomfortably similar to the panic that came before an important event. What started as a tiny stone in the pit of your stomach blossomed into a constant presence that ruined everything because it would not leave until the problem had passed.

It was exactly that kind of feeling that drove Ban Midou to smoking in the first place and the very reason he had now chosen to chain-smoke his final cigarette. Using a match that he had found at the back of one of Gen's cupboards, Ban struck a flame and took a long drag as he settled against the wall.

Content to blow smoke rings and watch his… well, he'd call them 'associates', Ban noted with interest that neither Shido nor Kazuki had moved as far away from the bed as he had. Clearly they did not share his notion that Ginji was in the safest possible place within Limitless Fortress - and more importantly, they _knew_ that he was.

For him, it came as a great comfort. Ban tried to write it off as the satisfaction that the main goal of the job had been completed… even though they had a growing to-do list before they could actually _leave_.

But if he was honest with himself, the relief lay in the fact that he had found his friend _relatively _unharmed. Something had definitely happened, but he didn't know what. Not yet.

Compulsively he glanced across to the bed. Ginji met the look and offered a tired smile in return for Ban's hard scrutiny. He was clearly still exhausted, one of many details that Ban inherently disliked. In the entire time he had known the electric eel, he had always kept an amazingly swift recovery time. It was beyond Ban's experience to see Ginji _so _weak for _so _long.

With little else to do, Ban flicked cigarette ash into a nearby pot plant, discreetly ignoring Gen's resigned look as he did so.

He'd always been told he was a lousy houseguest, anyway.

Gen's clattering of plates and the thunk-thump of cupboards were the only noise to be had in the Pharmac. Neither Shido or Kazuki were very talkative after the news that Teshimine was on the way, so Ginji had settled back down. Save for the infrequent, silent reassurances to Ban, he was dozing against the pillow, eyes open but thoughts a thousand miles away.

Ban was confident in the assumption that he too was waiting, if with much less apprehension. They all hoped Teshimine would bring a resolution. He and the others would worry about the _nature _of that direction and where it would take them, but Ginji would be happy to simply receive it.

The minutes on the clock ticked by at an agonisingly slow rate. Neither Shido nor Kazuki moved; Gen continued to flit about. Ban finished his cigarette in record time and at one stage was absolutely certain that he had heard a _snore _from Ginji.

He was on the verge of going to check on the Mudhead properly - just for something to do - when at long last, there came a knock at the door.

The effect was like a pebble dropping into a pond. The stillness shattered and the two Kings became alert; their Emperor carefully sat up.

Ban ignored all three, paying most of his attention to the little Pharmacist.

Gen sent a nervous look to his guests, but obligingly moved to the door. He opened it wide enough to prevent unpleasant surprises: just as those inside would see the person at the door, he would see them.

It was a storm-soaked version of the man so eagerly awaited who came stepping through the door. "I apologise for being late," Takeru Teshimine told them, as an unused umbrella was set against the wall. His pleasant smile said nothing of how he might feel about such an unexpectedly large audience.

Ban watched as Teshimine shut the door quietly before side-stepping Gen and moving further into the room. A simple hand gesture was enough to defer the questions Kazuki and Shido had both begun to ask.

"You have a knack for trouble, don't you?" Teshimine said mildly, as he approached the hospital bed that they were all guarding. He laid an affectionate hand on Ginji's brown hair. "How on earth did you manage this?"

There was a blink, then a sheepish grin from the younger man. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"Well, then." Teshimine collected a chair, twisting it so that he sat close enough for decent conversation. "We're going to have to find out. Do you remember how it happened?"

"We've been through this," Ban interjected, ignoring Shido's hiss of disproval as the words left him. He had always been willing to tolerate Teshimine, based simply on the fact that he was so influential to Ginji. Despite this, he was chomping at the bit for a course of action: sitting through another round of twenty questions was not Ban's idea of progress in the slightest.

The greying man looked over his shoulder. He smiled, then nodded. "I am certain you have," he replied diplomatically, "But it remains that I haven't heard the answers."

Ban snorted and looked away, beginning to regret that he had finished that cigarette so swiftly. He chose to say nothing else, his pride oddly subdued in the presence of someone who didn't fight back.

Under the gentle prodding of his mentor, Ginji gave the story - the same one that he had given his three friends less than an hour previous. As the conversation continued, it became obvious that he was wearing out, a tiredness seeping at the edges of him so that every movement took just a little longer to complete, and every response was just a little slower.

Just as Ban wanted give in to temptation and tell Teshimine to give him a break, the adult sat back, motioning quietly to Gen for a hot drink. After this, he sunk into thought, watching a blank space on the wall.

Ban ended up tailing Gen's actions instead, deciding that it was too unsettling to look at.

The man had finished filling the kettle with water from the sink, setting it back on the counter with a gentle 'clunk'. After checking the cord was plugged in properly, he flicked the power switch, turned to get mugs -

- and Ban's world went inexplicably _black_.

Any exclamations from those sharing the experience were drowned out by a thudding boom from overhead, one that made the building shake as one wave of sound joined the next.

It lasted a good minute and when it passed, Ban realised he'd been holding his breath. Surveying the apartment, he realised what had happened - a blackout.

Well, there was a simple way to get around _that_.

"I'll get a torch," Gen said immediately. Ban assumed he was looking for one and shook his head although the others would never see it.

"Make it a lamp," he told the Pharmacist calmly. "Right, Ginji?"

No answer.

"_Ginji_?"

"I'm sorry, Ban." In the darkness of the apartment Ginji's voice, although louder than anything else in the room, was heavily subdued. Ban stared at him through the darkened apartment, his world shrinking until the only thing that existed was his old retrieval partner.

He realised, in that exact moment, just what had happened to Ginji.

A quiet, "Mr. Ginji…" from Kazuki's direction told him that he was not alone in that horrible, gut-clenching realisation.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	7. Like a Child

**Three Day Storm**

**#6: Like a Child**

**X X X**

There was not a sound to be had in Gen's Pharmacy. With just three words the room had been muffled with a thick, horrible tension as the reality of the situation at last began to sink in.

Ban was the first to speak. "_Ginji_…"

There was no answer, but that was okay because he didn't know how to finish the sentence. If his friend couldn't light so much as a lamp… if he was _this_ different… then what had happened? How - _who?_

The thief's mind was a blitz of half-formed protests and denials and vain attempts to disguise the meaning behind the apology he had just heard, just so that it would mean something… _else. _Something that did not result in the end of the world as he knew it. When he first saw that Ginji was different, Ban had begun to nurse an apprehensive line of thought that the change ran much deeper than what he wanted to admit.

He doubted he had been alone.

But for Ginji to _lose his powers_ was beyond the realm of comprehension. The Lightning Emperor was invincible, was arguably stronger than all of them put together, _especially _inside the Fortress. Even if Ban had defeated him in the past, that could be put down to an understanding of tactics that was not shared by his opponent. It did not mean that the Emperor was _weaker_ than him.

There was a scraping of wood as Teshimine pushed his chair back. Jerked out of his thoughts, Ban realised he was standing. "It looks like you were right," the man said in an altogether too-calm voice, "This will have serious consequences."

Ban realised that he was speaking to Gen.

"You _knew_?" the Beastmaster asked from his corner of the room. There was an offended tone to his voice - or… was it worry? Shido and Kazuki's allegiance was easily explained as having once been Ginji's own, but… the need to _protect_ him… that was a different kind of loyalty.

"When he sent the note that brought me here," Teshimine explained, his footsteps echoing as he moved across the apartment. "Gen told me that he suspected something was very wrong."

"Something else for after the cavalry," Kazuki commented quietly. His tone had a surprisingly hard edge to it. Ban could feel his blood hum quietly in anticipation of a fight but he repressed the old antagonist streak in him - a streak that he usually reserved just for Shido. It wanted to join in… no matter the consequences for the situation.

Teshimine seemed intent on ignoring the Threadmaster, giving no answer and instead reverting to his verbal examination of his protégé. "So, Ginji. You really can't do anything electrical?"

There was an unhappy sigh from the bed-bound man. "No," Ginji answered, "It's like there's nothing there, just this empty space inside me. It's like…" he trailed off; Ban waited for the metaphor.

"Like when you were a child?" Teshimine's question was gentle.

There was a long pause from the young adult. "…Yeah. Yeah, it is. I'd never forget that, and this is the same."

Suddenly a shaft of light struck the room, illuminating a selection of wall and floor. Ban stared at it, then realised - across the room, Teshimine had found what he was looking for; a torch. It went sweeping around the room and each person shied from the brightness as it fell on them, until Teshimine stood it on an end-table, allowing the glow to hit the ceiling like a modified lamp.

His vision restored, Ban watched as Teshimine moved back to his seat by Ginji's bed.

"There is more in this, then. Ginji…"

From the sound of Teshimine's voice, Ban had a sudden feeling of dread lock up in his chest. It was the sound of bad news - like when a favourite pet died, or when a promise was broken. He didn't want to hear the rest of what had to be said, even if ultimately it was good for Ginji. The notion was absurd and disloyal and all kinds of things and… that want did nothing to stop the words he knew he would have to hear eventually.

"The Lightning Emperor no longer manifests himself in you."

By the light of the torch there was an odd look on Ginji's face, one that Ban found just as unnerving as the use of 'manifest'. Was it despair? ... No. Self actualisation? No, it wasn't that either. _Relief_? Never. He and the Emperor were bonded, like the Miroku Seven. Even if one side was far more dangerous than another, Ginji's half balanced it out. They lived for, and with, each other.

That was how it had been the entire time he'd known Ginji.

"Teshimine, I'm sorry -"

"No, Ginji," Teshimine interrupted. "Do not apologise for what is not your fault. We can fix this."

"How do you propose we 'fix this'?" Ban asked roughly. For this Jagan user, all that meant was they would have to find the culprit… and then figure out how to reverse what had happened - _if_ it could be reversed at all. With no real idea of where to start, for Ban the situation was not promising.

"We start with finding out where exactly Ren took him," Teshimine said. "That is where the Emperor will be."

Ban heard the tinkle of bells as Kazuki moved forward to take initiative. "You said you haven't seen Ren. Is this still true?" he asked Gen.

"Of course," the man said, looking just a little affronted at the suggestion he might have lied about such a thing.

"Then it may be she is still up in the Beltline, with whoever has done this, and the Emperor too."

"The Beltline?" Teshimine said, "No… no, I think the answers are in a place that the Beltline cannot reach."

Through the dim environment it was hard to say for certain, but Ban was sure he saw Shido narrow his eyes. "You mean -"

The man nodded solemnly. "Babylon City."

Despite the mood, upon hearing that Ban found himself grinning recklessly. "I could do with some exercise," he said flippantly.

"Wait, Ban -"

"It's okay, Ginji. I know what I need to _get back. _You sit tight and heal up, okay?"

With a smirk that was more confident on the outside than he was on the inside, Ban turned away. He heard Kazuki and Shido move to follow, passing assurances to their sovereign that things would be alright.

Together, the three of them would be enough to take on the obstacles that Babylon City would throw at them. They had to be.

Ban was the first to step outside, bracing himself for the weather. But when there was nothing to tug and pull at his clothes; no heavy push of formidable wind, he paused. With a frown he stepped further along the common balcony, glancing around and expecting the wind to pick up at any given moment.

"Storm's gone," Shido said from behind as he pulled the door shut.

Ban realised this was true and mumbled an assent.

"It must have been recent," Kazuki said. With everything that had happened inside the Pharmacy since Teshimine's arrival, it was no wonder they hadn't realised.

"Well, it may start again," Shido said, stepping past the two other men to take the temporary lead. "Let's go before it does."

**X X X**

Thousands of floors, stairwells and shortcuts overhead, a blacked out room was illuminated by the glow of a singular being. Electricity crackled around him in sporadic flickers of light and noise, briefly highlighting the cold, angular features of his face before disappearing again.

There was a crumpled form at his feet. Long purple hair fanned across the stone tiles she was lying on, an arm sprawled overhead and the other lying limp at her side. Half-lidded turquoise eyes were watching the being above her in a blind daze, beads of sweat dotting her skin all over. Every so often, her fingers would twitch, residual crackles of electricity zapping the short distance from her body to his.

The man didn't flinch, absorbing every bit without so much as the blink of an eye.

Across from the two, on a platform that served as a dais, stood a man who looked like he had no legitimate business being in the Limitless Fortress.

With a body that could be called short for an adult, he had what had once been a kind face. A tailored black suit of high quality covered his stocky body, brown hair just starting to show the first flecks of salt and pepper. For all intensive purposes, he was the picture of an educated man whose intelligence had brought him great fortune. An ugly look of greed twisted his features as he surveyed the pair, his humanity nowhere to be seen.

Stepping down, expensive shoes clicked against the stone as he closed the distance between them. The woman did not move but the glowing man twitched reflexively, cold eyes landing on his approaching form.

Coming to a stop, he spread his hands to gesture at the room - and in turn, the building which surrounded it.

"Welcome back to your domain, Emperor," he declared, voice echoing through the dark room.

As the room returned to silence, a soft mumble came from his feet. Glancing down with some measure of disdain, he was greeted with a weak, confused mumble from the woman.

"_Grandpa_?"

Before he could sneer his answer, Ren had slipped into unconsciousness.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	8. Stacking the Odds

**Three Day Storm**

**#7: Stacking the Odds**

**X X X**

_The Lightning Emperor did not like small, enclosed spaces, nor had he ever. He had grown up in the Limitless Fortress, a place that was full of nooks and crannies that always led to the wide open spaces where he could see the sky. _

_As such, he was not fond of the elevator that he and his escort - the young Ren - were travelling in. Ginji could occupy himself with worrying about the woman in front of them but he had no such luxury, because his was not a mind easily distracted. When at last the elevator slowed down and the doors finally opened, the Emperor prepared himself for the danger that was certainly ahead. _

_With a quiet word to Ginji, he took full control of the situation. The transition was painless: this close to the core of the Fortress, he was far stronger in willpower and Ginji was far weaker._

_His boots clicked against paved stone as he followed Ren out into a strange foyer. The walls were draped by luxurious dark green curtains, a plush carpet of the same colour running from the elevator across to grand double doors, their panels grooved with an intricate and three-dimensional rainforest scene. Every ten metres or so was a stand with candles, creating a steady glow in this place that felt like it had no air._

_The Emperor scanned for immediate threats, the occasional short of electricity flickering across his body. He could feel that Ginji wanted to investigate the carvings and almost granted his wish, until Ren took the lead. _

_She stepped forward and put a hand on the door and the grating noise of wood against stone echoed through the hall as the doors came to life, slowly opening until there was enough room for a person to slip through. Ren disappeared through the crack as soon as it was wide enough for her petite figure to fit through. The room beyond was not lit, but the Emperor could smell moist dirt and rain. Neither he nor Ginji were fooled, though. _

_This was what the Limitless Fortress was good at: making you believe what wasn't true, to give someone else the advantage. _

_The Emperor clenched his fists, and made the decision to follow Ren. Stepping into the dark space, his eyes struggled to adjust quickly. He could not identify the voice who greeted him. _

"_Ah, the Lightning Emperor. The Brain Trust has awaited you."_

**X X X**

The room was lit but only dimly, and kept that way on purpose. Makubex sat in the middle of his scattered machines, a keyboard resting in his lap as he worked with one that sat on the floor. All around him the monitors flickered with the information he had called up onto them, taking the form of statistics, maps, data reports. The screen which held his attention the most at that moment was his surveillance system: that tight grid of a thousand cameras that enabled him to see all over Lower Town.

With a couple of expert taps he enlarged one of the many surveillance screens. The screen filled with the scene of a flooded alleyway and the three men picking their way through it.

He had been tracking them on and off since they left Gen's, listening idly to Ban's grumblings and Shido's snippy retorts. From the snatches of conversation that he'd gathered, they were heading for the Beltline. It was an interesting development, but one that admittedly made the young leader nervous.

Once they were outside of Lower Town's territory, he would not be able to help them. The Beltline belonged solely to the Gods, and he was not yet strong enough in heart or mind to contest that.

From a screen off to the left, something red began to flash in the corner. Spotting it from the corner of his eye Makubex said, "What is it, Sakura?"

The young woman moved forward from where she'd been standing behind him, crouching as she fulfilled the request. There was the soft tap of delicate hands against the keyboard and a whirr of the corresponding processor coming to life as it procured details.

"Sakura?" he prompted.

"- The west entrance to the Beltline is malfunctioning," she said.

Makubex snapped his attention to the young woman, grimacing under the visor he still wore. "That's not a malfunction," the young man said darkly, "Sakura, please find your brother for me."

She stood with a nod and left to do so. He began to type furiously. Tapping into the same information that Sakura had been looking at a moment ago, Makubex found what he had already suspected. Someone was shutting off the access into the Beltline, using the Archive's power.

If they succeeded, Ban and the others would not be able to finish their mission.

He was ruler of the Lower Town. It would not happen that way. His fingers flying across the keys, Makubex quickly decided that it would be too much to force the west entrance back open and keep the other three operational. He would have to settle on just keeping one gate stable long enough for his friends to get through.

After that it would be out of his hands and up to them to get to Babylon City.

He could hear Juubei approaching from behind, but Makubex did not cease his work. "Juubei," he said, as his screen flashed to say that the North gate had collapsed, "Someone is trying to stop our friends from getting into the Beltline and it is something I cannot allow to happen. Will you help me prevent it?"

"Of course."

Makubex was pleased. "Thankyou, Juubei," he replied, watching the man's reflection in the screen he was facing. "I want you to tell them what has happened. I would not expect you to let Kazuki go into such danger without you, so please also go with them through the Beltline."

Whilst Makubex could not fully understand what it was like to have a desire to protect two different worlds, he could appreciate it. The immense amount of duty that Juubei felt to both Limitless Fortress and his partner was something that Makubex had vowed to never stand in the way of again.

"I will, Makubex," the stoic man replied. His reflection vanished as he turned away.

Makubex listened to the tap of retreating footsteps until the room became silent – except for the noise of the machines grinding away at their master's command.

**X X X**

"I _definitely _should have brought a map," Ban grumbled as he sloshed down a flooded alleyway, kicking the water everywhere as he went. Kazuki and Shido were wading along behind him, probably moving with a little more care about where they put their feet and how much of a splash they made. Ban had no doubt that the three of them made a peculiar picture.

"Maps of the Fortress still aren't that reliable," Shido pointed out from the very back of the line.

Ban snorted. "Is that because you won't read them, monkey trainer?"

"_I'm _not the one who got us lost in the first place."

For that Ban had no immediate answer, the man gritting his teeth as he searched for some kind of evidence that he knew where they were going. He spotted, at last, a store that he recognised clearly from the last visit. He turned around to face his companions, pointing victoriously. "Ahah! We're not _lost _-"

But Kazuki had come to a stop and so had Shido, both of them paused mid-step and looking as though they were listening carefully. Ban frowned - then heard it too.

"Someone's coming," he muttered, even though it was news that the other two were already aware of. At the end of the alley they had just come down, a tall figure appeared.

Kazuki's bells seemed to echo his surprise as he tilted his head. "Juubei?"

The voice was all the other man needed, breaking into a jog as he followed it down the alley and towards them.

As he got closer, Ban moved back before he got splashed by the foul water. "Didn't we leave you with computer boy?" he asked, sticking both hands in his pockets.

The blind man came to a stop before he could kick spray all over them - and oddly enough, he was just the slightest bit out of breath. Ban could tell that he'd been running most of the way here. That wasn't a good thing.

Juubei's words proved him right shortly thereafter. "We haven't got much time," he told them, negating any introductions or preamble.

"Why - what happened, Juubei?" Kazuki asked.

"Access to the Beltline is being cut off."

"_What_?" In retrospect, Ban wasn't sure that he liked how well his voice went with Shido's when they spoke at the same time.

Juubei nodded solemnly, stepping past Shido and Kazuki. He stopped in alignment with Ban, though he faced in the opposite direction. "Makubex will keep the Southern gate open for as long as he can, but we have to go _now_."

"Damnit," Ban swore, turning away. Without looking to the others, he broke into a light run. Not too much after that, he heard the patter of feet as they fell in behind him.

Now, every minute counted. To get to the Beltline in time was pressure that they didn't need. That wasn't even going into the news that someone was actively trying to keep them away. It all translated to 'very bad and very complex', which Ban didn't have the appetite for.

Together, the four fighters bolted for their only chance, praying that Makubex could hold onto it until they got there.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	9. The Failed Experiment

**Three Day Storm**

**#8: The Failed Experiment**

**X X X**

"How much further is it?" Ban grunted out between gasps of breath. He and his three companions had been running for nearly twenty minutes now, along dry walkways and through semi-flooded stairwells, grateful for the temporary break that the weather had granted them.

"We're not far now," Shido answered, his words lacking their usual hint of contempt for the thief, "The Southern entrance is different from others."

"It looks like a Baker's," Juubei said from behind. "It was disguised so that most of Lower Town never knew where their enemy came from."

"It better be where it's supposed to be," Ban muttered, but left it at that. They had already used up more breath than what could be afforded if they wanted to keep on at this rate. Everyone was painfully aware of the stakes: if they could not get to the Beltline in time... they wouldn't get back anything.

**X X X**

_Slowly, his eyes were adjusting to the darkened environment that he stood in. The smell of subterranean plants came from all directions and when he could finally pick out the details of the room, the Lightning Emperor realised where it came from. The walls were lined with wall fountains and plants that grew so wild that they covered more than half of the floor, leaving only an arena of bare stone in the middle of the room,. At the far end of the room there was a dais - and here was where the Emperor sighted his opposition._

_He was short, but well dressed. His salt-and-pepper hair was combed to one side, and his tassel of a beard was neatly trimmed. _

_The Emperor decided in a heartbeat that he did not like this man._

_Stepping forward, electricity crackled across his body in sharp and frequent spurts. It made his skin glow, throwing an extra dimension of light into the dim room. "Who are you?" he demanded, every inch the proud sovereign he had always been at heart. _

_His voice echoed weirdly in the room, but the man's expression did not change. He stayed in the centre of that dais, hands loose in his pockets and holding an arrogant posture. It reminded him of the thief that Ginji liked. Although Ren was the taller of the two, in standing next to him she looked all the more like his pawn._

_The Emperor kept one eye on his only means of exit, and waited. He was not ordinarily a patient person, but he wanted the answer more than he wanted to escape. _

"_What I am is more important than who I am," the man told him at last, "But what is even more important is why you are here."_

_The Emperor snorted lightly, unimpressed by the vague answer. Still, he chose to humour the man. "Will you tell me, old man?"_

_The answer was coupled with a poisonous smile. "You are here because the Brain Trust wants you to be here. Do you realise where we are?"_

"_Babylon City."_

"_Do you realise that you've _been here before_?"_

_The Emperor was silent. Those words - that question - had struck a chord in him that he hadn't had touched before. Uneasily, he glanced about the room, but it offered no answers. _

_The man was grinning eerily, like a hunter closing in on its prey. "That's right. You are a product of Babylon City, Emperor. _

"_You are here so we can bring you _home_."_

**X X X**

"There!"

Ban couldn't remember the last time he had been so pleased to hear the Beastmaster speak. The dilapidated Bakery came into view a few seconds later, and the group collectively slowed.

Shido tried the handle and cursed. "It's locked," he told them flatly.

"We don't have time for that." Pushing past the man, Ban gripped the doorhandle and wrenched it open, forcing the lock to break in the process. He yanked it open with one hand, gesturing to the others.

Shido darted through first, followed by Kazuki with Juubei a half-step behind him. When it came to Ban's turn, he glanced up to the nearest surveillance camera, silently thanked Makubex, then stepped in and shut the door behind him.

One by one, they had vanished completely from sight.

**X X X**

_Bring them 'home'? "Ginji and I did not come from this place," the Emperor told him flatly._

"_N__ot Ginji, no," the man agreed, "He, like his friends, was convenient when we needed a subject to experiment on. He wanted to change the world, we allowed it to happen. It was _us _who pushed him to the edge, to a position that would make him willing to accept a power like yourself. The Advent of the Lightning Emperor, we call it."_

_The Emperor's lip curled. He had not liked this man to begin with, and this talk of his other half being a subject, an experiment… it was not a topic he was enjoying the details of. "Make your point," he said coldly._

"_My point is that _you_ were an element _we _added to the Archive. You are our creation - a patch to fix the bug that was - and is - Ginji Amano. When Takeru Teshimine left the Fortress, and Kurusu Masaki failed in his duties, the Brain Trust decided it could no longer rely on others to keep you in Lower Town so we could end the experiment."_

"_You're a little late," the Emperor said sardonically._

"_Or perhaps we are right on time," the man replied cryptically. "Will you co-operate with us?"_

"_Co-operate? You have not told me what you intend to do."_

"_We _intend _to present you with a deal, Emperor. Come back to us and we will give you a freedom you could never have otherwise."_

_The realisation of what the Brain Trust wanted hit him like a slap in the face. The Emperor narrowed his eyes, electricity reaching a new pitch as it zapped back and forth across him. "You want me to leave Ginji."_

"_Ah," the man sighed, "I see you are not going to go along with this nicely. So I will give you a choice. Either you will oblige the Gods, or you will be forced out of that body and the trauma will kill your host. Do it our way and Ginji will be taken to my good friend, and healed. It is your decision to make, but we _will _have you. Choose, Emperor."_

**X X X**

Ban hadn't been sure what to expect when he came stumbling through the VR into the territory marked as the Beltline. Whatever he had imagined to find, though, he was grateful that there were no flowery hills or the chirp of birds that didn't exist.

The other three had already stopped to rest, which the thief took as his biggest clue that there was no danger. Juubei had one hand braced against the wall as he recovered his breath; Shido was hunched over slightly to lean on his knees. Kazuki was the only one standing straight, but even he was breathing hard.

Relief crashed onto him in a roaring wave and Ban chose the nearest piece of wall to lean against, tipping his head back for support. "We made it," he breathed out quietly.

After that, nobody spoke for several minutes.

**X X X**

_The Emperor hadn't liked this man when he first saw him._

_Now, he had a reason to hate him._

"_I will not help you," he said flatly, amongst the crackling noise generated by the voltage he was gathering. Especially after the threat, he didn't need to think about his answer at all._

_To leave Ginji was something the Emperor had never considered - not just because it was utterly _impossible_, but because he had no reason to. It was a good lifestyle that they had, where the danger could be overwhelming but never as bad as the Fortress. Ginji had control most of the time, which was not all that bad - and he figured he owed the youth, anyway._

"_I do not think that is the right answer, Emperor," the man replied patronisingly. "If you do not do this willingly, Ginji is certain to be harmed."_

"_You will not harm him," the Emperor said, "Because you will not harm _us."

"_We will see about that. Ren," the man turned his attention to the woman beside him. At his command the woman responded slowly, looking to him with the same, unchanging blank-eyed expression. _

_By the light of his own skin, the Emperor saw something that he had not seen before - a faint gleam over Ren's head. _

_He knew what it was immediately - the Wire Doll System. Makubex had retired the use of it in Lower Town two years previous, which meant that the Brain Trust had hijacked it from him, or perhaps created their own. Now that he knew why Ren was behaving this way, it explained a great deal. He could also anticipate the man's command._

"_Get me the Emperor, Ren."_

_Wordlessly the woman turned towards him, her shoes clicking as she stepped off of the dais and onto the stone floor._

_The Emperor slid into a defensive stance, gritting his teeth. His blood hummed in anticipation of a fight, but his heart was not in it. This woman was a friend of Ginji's, someone he would never rightfully lift a finger against. She did not truly want to hurt him. _

_Ren leapt to attack and he lashed out instinctively with a violent jolt of electricity. She dodged before it could strike her, showing the uncanny speed and agility that a Wire Doll was granted with. When she reappeared much closer, the Emperor struck again._

_He never heard a feminine scream that was his target being hit, nor saw Ren collapse against the floor. A crippling pain had exploded in him, starting in one hand and racing up his arm. From there spread into his body like fire, turning his world an uncanny shade of green then blue then white. He dropped to his hands and knees, gritting his teeth to keep from screaming. _

_The toes of a pair of shoes entered his field of vision; he tried to look up. A cool hand pressed to his forehead and he caught a glimpse of blank turquoise eyes. _

_In that moment, the Lightning Emperor lost himself._

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	10. Discovery of a new Host

**Three Day Storm**

**#9: Discovery of a new Host**

**X X X**

_It came to him that he was sprawled on his back on the hard, unforgiving surface of old concrete. _

_It was cold to lie against and he could feel a crack in the ground that jabbed unevenly at the space between his shoulder blades. This was what brought him to the thought that he was no longer in Babylon City. This roughness was a far cry from the sleek VR-world at the top of the Limitless Fortress._

_The Lightning Emperor forced his eyes open but the world that greeted him was blurry and unfocused. His head was pounding and it felt like a horse had kicked him in the chest. Everything rolled together into an indistinct blur of sound, colour and touch. He tried to look at his immediate surroundings but could only conclude one thing: he was in an alley, somewhere. He could smell the faint odour of rubbish close by, carrying the pungent smell of rotten meat. It should have turned his stomach but for some odd reason, it wasn't strong enough to trigger that nausea. Perhaps he was too tired, too sore to notice. _

_It did strike him as odd though, that no matter how deeply he inhaled, the scent got neither weaker nor stronger. Perhaps he was in a VR environment. No…that couldn't be it. He had been aware of his environment before he'd opened his eyes; there hadn't been a chance for the scenario to establish itself._

_He could hear water dripping off of various fixtures and although neither he nor the ground was wet. Vaguely, he realised that it had started to rain. _

_It was probably time to start moving. He tried to sit up and immediately regretted the action. His head went from throbbing quietly to jack hammering against the inside of his skull, earning a quiet, pained groan from the Emperor._

_Then he heard someone approaching. He tried to react sharply, to snap up and focus his attention on the possible intruder. He willed his static to crackle in the air._

_Nothing happened._

_Something cold and icy closed around his heart. He couldn't summon his electrical powers. He couldn't move. The chill of being utterly defenceless ran down his spine. It was a whole new experience for the Lightning Emperor: he and Ginji had always, always had a back door strategy. They had always been able to choose resistance if they decided it was necessary._

_Why couldn't he do it now?_

_Brown eyes narrowed on the form as it tapped around the corner. With his perception still skewed, it was difficult to pick out details without concentrating, but trying to do so only increased his headache. He managed to note it was someone short, someone elderly. Someone who didn't feel like a threat._

"_Pharmacist Gen…" the voice was familiar, one he'd known all his life._

Ginji.

_- but he hadn't felt Ginji speak. What was this? Even in this state, he would have felt it… the thought process, the decision to speak and the selection of what to say. But he hadn't felt a thing. The horrifying thought hit him with enough suddenness to leave him breathless. _

_It was as if he wasn't there at all. _

_Before he could finish the thought, the pitch-black veil of unconsciousness ripped him away from the situation altogether, leaving Ginji behind._

**X X X**

_The Emperor groaned despite himself. _

_His entire body felt dull and subdued, as though it had been thrown against a hard wall, and then self-medicated by turning numb. He tried blinking away the darkness and was rewarded when a blurry and whitewashed world swam into focus. It was too bright for sensitive eyes and he screwed them shut again. He lifted a hand to rub at his eyelids, and then paused._

_This was not his - rather, Ginji's - hand._

_It was small, delicate. Feminine._

"_Ren," he muttered thickly, but the words came sluggishly, crawling through a sore throat and out of a dry mouth. It was a sign that he hadn't spoken in some time, perhaps unconscious. But if this was Ren's body…_

_What the hell was going on?_

_It was a swift conclusion from the Emperor that he had been sitting around for long enough. Peering tentatively through half-open eyes, he propped both elbows behind him and sat up slowly for the second time, braving a severe headache to take in the unfamiliar environment. It was a little room: the walls, floor and ceiling were all the same off-white, hospital colour. There were no windows and only one (closed) door, and no furniture except for the bed he was lying on. The air was cold, entirely clinical. _

_He knew without asking or being told that this was somewhere inside the Limitless Fortress - somewhere inside Babylon City. Had he been here all along? Had the alley been a simple dream, or had he somehow travelled between the two places without realising it?_

_The Lightning Emperor did not know the answer, but he wanted to find out. He could not do such a thing from a hospital bed._

_Sliding out of the bed and straightening on unsteady legs, the first thing he noticed was how it _felt_; how everything had an extra clarity to it. The pressure of his weight against his legs; the cold tiled floor under the soles of his feet. Even the air of the room as it greeted his bare skin, triggering a wave of goosebumps that made his spine tingle with a different kind of electricity. _

_The Lightning Emperor knew one thing. Whilst he had never needed to fight Ginji for control in the past; in those moments where he took prime position there had always been a weight behind his actions. It had always required an extra depth of strength to do as he wanted, which didn't come from Ginji protesting so much as it came from two minds working in one body. Every decision made had to run through two separate thought processes; they had to agree within a split-second. When there was conflict, it was even worse, because Ginji didn't always agree with what _he _wanted. Ginji was always very vocal when that happened, and the Emperor usually conceded in favour of an alternative strategy._

_But with Ren… There was nothing- not a single shred of resistance. He couldn't even hear her thoughts. It was as though she didn't exist and this was just an empty shell that he had somehow come to occupy. His legs were sore and they truly felt it, to a degree he couldn't really remember experiencing before. It had always been Ginji who dealt with the bulk of the pain, unless he the Emperor had caused it. In those times, he took the brunt of the after-effects. It was not fair to push them onto his host._

_That he could feel _every _throbbing ache in his body was so different to what he had experienced in the past that the Emperor found himself questioning _everything_. Was this what the God had meant? Was this part of 'bringing him home'? If it was, the Emperor did not like it. He did not always enjoy being confined by Ginji and the limitations of a world outside of the Limitless Fortress… but he had __agreed to it by allowing Ginji to bring them to a life of Retrieval. _

_He had chosen to stay a part of Ginji's life, and to allow Ginji to live for himself._

_Now, the Emperor had been separated from his host against his will. He thought it reasonalbe that no Sovereign would appreciate that, whether or not it was a choice made by a God._

_Taking a couple of uneasy steps, the young man found himself grimacing. His joints were stiff, like they hadn't been used in a while. The muscles were uncomfortably sluggish when they followed his commands, which came as an uncomfortable change against the finely-tuned body of his previous host. Ren was not a skilled fighter in any sense._

_It only furthered the decision that he would have to resolve this situation before it got any further out of hand. _

_Across the room, the single door began to move. It swung open with a click and the Emperor paused, shifting his weight to stand tall and do his best to look imperious. Ren was short, spindly - he ignored these facts and did his best._

_It was the man from earlier, dressed in the same impeccable suit and watching him with a freshly arrogant smirk. "Your ability to heal swiftly does not disappoint, Lightning Emperor."_

_The Emperor replied with his best narrow-eyed glare. _

_Apparently undeterred by the frosty silence, the businessman strolled into the room casually, his hands clasped behind him. "Admittedly, it has been a few days since we last met. I am sure you remember the conversation." _

"_You forced me to leave Ginji," the Emperor replied darkly. "You harmed him."_

"_Ginji is fine, Emperor. He will be a little bruised, a little worn out, but he will recover with the care of my good friend. It is a fortunate outcome in the face of odds that did not look kindly on him."_

"_I want to see him," he demanded._

"_I'm afraid that is not possible," the God said. "You see, Emperor, your data does not exist in the Lower Town. For the moment, you exist only above the Belt Line. Go lower than that and you will cease to exist."_

"_You promised freedom," the Lightning Emperor snarled. The longer he stood in front of this antagonist, the higher his anger seemed to mount. It did not occur to him that this was the goal of the conversation. He simply knew that the want to lash out was building; the desire to attack the obstacle that stood in front of him. The only thing which prevented him was that he did not know Ren's limitations. _

_He wasn't yet at the point where his hosts welfare would become irrelevant to destroying the enemy._

"_We did," the God said with a nod. "And it will come. For now, though…" he trailed off with a gesture to the door that stood behind him. "Perhaps you would like to test out this new, though temporary body."_

_The Emperor studied him for a long time with a guarded expression, unwilling to trust this man and at the same time… measuring it against his battle instincts that demanded he find his new limitations. It was not a betrayal to Ginji, he decided. The situation had changed dramatically. If he was to return to Lower Town, he would need to know what obstacles were facing him. This was the best place to start._

_Holding his head high, the Emperor forced his new body to walk towards his new enemy, and the exit that lay behind him._

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	11. Charming Doors

**Three Day Storm**

**#10: Charming Doors**

**X X X**

The four of them walked in a diamond shape, Ban at the lead because Shido lacked the breath to argue the matter. Juubei brought up the rear, listening acutely to Kazuki's footsteps for any indication of trouble. Ban was relying on the fact that Juubei couldn't see the VR world they were now in; hopefully it would be an advantage… unless they got separated. But they'd all faced the VR before... they'd survive.

He hoped.

The group was on tenterhooks as they made their way forwards, every sense hyper alert for the first sign that the Beltline was going to try and stop their journey. They didn't speak, each fighter too concerned about keeping their energy levels up after the mad dash to exit Lower Town.

The quiet suited Ban just fine. He'd become greatly accustomed to working amongst thieves again, and there was a certain silent quality that they learnt to exhibit in almost every manner. You spoke when it was necessary, and you were loathe to leave an imprint on the world you were passing through.

Of course, the Limitless Fortress liked to throw all of that to hell. Lower Town - and the people from it, like Monkey-boy back there - wasn't so good at staying quiet. It made sense, really. After all, the lower town region was a place full of rough edges and cracks; people who were wholesomely dysfunctional and ironically wouldn't survive in a better world. Makubex worked hard these days to help make his people happy, but there remained a brutal reality under it all; the hard fact of having to fight in order to survive. Being quiet and trying to be unnoticed in the grand scheme of things was not something the Lower Town was good at. It was not how you survived.

Then there was the Beltline… It was a place that held answers to every question that was asked in life, answers they'd never get a hold of or understand. It was essentially a smirking, arrogant creation that only seemed to extend the mystery and power of Babylon City. The Beltline helped to make them all into marionettes, forcibly danced towards traps and pitfalls that they'd avoid if they had the chance. It was a bit more thief-like, but not greatly. The Beltline was too busy embodying the rule of the Gods over 'their' Fortress… and that always pissed him off.

But Babylon City... yeah, was where the thieves lived. They took all that they could from the people who couldn't escape their claws; the souls that Makubex couldn't protect, the ones who the Gods refused to let go. Ever since his first visit to the Limitless Fortress, Ban had known this was true.

He'd never had any _idea_ that it could happen to someone he knew and _cared_ for.

At first, Ban was too busy with his thoughts to notice that the hall was getting wider as they walked along, the walls gently sloping away a bit more with every step. It wasn't until he glanced to his comrades that Ban realised just how far apart they all were. He didn't slow or change his pace as he turned an eagle eye to the space they were travelling through, intrigued by the subtle nature of the change. As the group rounded a sharp curve in the hall, the cause of the change became clear.

After all, it was hard to miss the blank wall a short distance ahead, as cold and faceless as the corridor they had spent a lifetime walking through. They came to an unspoken but unanimous stop and at the front of the group, Ban narrowed his eyes as he studied it sceptically. He knew the others were doing the same, watching this flat wall that felt far more menacing than it actually was.

He heard Shido snort dismissively and step forward a little, obviously keen to keep on going. "We're ready," he muttered, speaking for the group. Ban felt his blood warm in the excitement of an upcoming fight and disguised it with a firm nod as he started to walk once more.

"We are," he confirmed, blue eyes never leaving the wall ahead.

The smooth metal surface began to ripple as they got closer, distorting and reforming into new shapes and colours. Here, it was Ban's turn to snort in contempt.

"Is this the best they can do?" he asked rhetorically, as four doors solidified in the wall ahead of them. They were eerily familiar, labelled with large numbers and made of a heavy steel. In short, they were the very same doors (albeit minus two) that Makubex had presented with them during their recovery of IL. "Four lousy doors?" He had played this game already - _twice_, and now the Gods wanted to play it a third time?

Well, at least this time, his opponent would not be Fudou. Although, if he was _honest_ about the matter, his luck with new acquaintances was roughly on par with his luck about money, and both were utterly miserable. There were quite a few enemies that could easily be waiting on the other side of his door... whichever door that was.

"How do we choose?" Kazuki asked, that petite frown returning to his face.

"Perhaps it is a game, like last time," Juubei suggested.

"There is no time for a game," Shido said impatiently, folding his arms.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Ban had to agree with the Beastmaster. There wasn't time for this kind of shit - he would be surprised if the Gods had forgotten about their mission to recover Makubex, since they themselves had a hand in that V-R saga. This was _old_, this was a _known_ opponent, even if the strength of the V-R was stronger here than in Lower Town.

If he had to guess, Ban was willing to say that his thoughts were not unique. Kazuki was scanning the floor in front of them as well as behind, looking in case that same die was sitting innocently on the ground. "If it is random, then how do we choose?" he asked, when it became apparent that they would have no such luck this time around.

Ban sighed, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. He looked upwards and adopted his very best look of Don't Push My Buttons. "Give us a hint, you old bags," he said to the ceiling, eyes narrowed to a glare specially designed for whoever watched them from somewhere above.

"Look -"

Following Shido's voice, Ban looked away from the ceiling to see the man walking forwards, stooping a little to look at the doors. "Around the handles -"

"What is it?" Juubei asked, taking a step or two forwards. Ban could tell that he wasn't sure where exactly the doors were, since his own senses were conflicted with what the VR was trying to tell him. Perhaps not the best ally that Makubex could have sent, after all.

Kazuki moved forward as well, peering in a morbid curiosity. "String," he said, with a hint of excitement - or admiration? - in his voice.

"And an animal tooth -" Shido said.

"There's a needle hanging here," Kazuki added, twisting to look for his partner. "This one must be yours, Juubei."

Ban, meanwhile, scowled at the little snake charm hanging off of the fourth and final door. "How creative," he said sarcastically. With a mutter to himself he yanked it off of the handle and pocketed it. "I guess this answers our question," he said to the others. By now they all stood at their own doors, Shido at the fartherest and Kazuki at the nearest as the three of them looked to him.

Kazuki was the only one with a smile, as small and careful as it was. "See you on the other side," he said to Ban. He pushed open the door and stepped through. It swung shut, sealing Kazuki away.

Juubei was only a step behind, with a curt nod to the two remaining men before doing the same.

Standing at far ends of the wall, Ban watched Shido the same as Shido watched him. It was the Beastmaster who broke eye contact first, twisting the handle and moving forwards. "Don't be late," he tossed to Ban.

"I'll beat your ass there, monkey boy," the thief shot back, but had to wonder if Shido had heard him - the man was already gone.

With a small sigh, Ban told himself (and not for the first time) that if Ginji didn't appreciate all of this, he'd thump him when they got back. With that thought firmly at the front of his mind, Ban stepped out of the corridor and into his own little world, tense and ready for the challenge.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	12. Separation Anxiety

**Three Day Storm**

**#11: Separation Anxiety**

**X X X**

"Ready for some fresh air, Ginji?"

They're words that are soft-spoken and inherently kind; spoken in a voice he inherently remembers from his childhood. He doesn't need to look to the man to know that the tone matches the eyes that watch him closely.

There's times when he misses that voice more than anything else in the world.

He doesn't know who sent for Teshimine, but he's grateful that they did.

The question earns a small nod from the brunette and he turns to offer a smile, sliding out of the bed and onto his feet. It comes with the slight unsteadiness that he knows is from lying down for too long, though it passes quickly enough that he doesn't need to worry about it.

"Good," Teshimine appraises. He disappears from sight and Ginji can hear him telling Gen that they're going for a little walk. He uses the time to make sure his clothes are alright, and to pull on a jacket in case it gets windy outside. By the time he's ready, Teshimine is waiting by the door, Gen watching them absently as he fusses around the kitchen.

With a wave to the Pharmacist he obediently leaves the apartment, embracing the fresh air of the long balcony beyond the door. Moving to the edge, he settles his hands on the railing and studies the always-familiar world of the Limitless Fortress.

"Everything's so _wet_," he remarks, looking back to Teshimine.

The older male pulls the door shut behind him before coming to join Ginji, slightly bemused at the sight of the water-logged courtyard far below. "Perhaps we will have to forego the park," he answers.

Ginji doesn't quite hear him – he's staring upwards, face painted with a frown. "The sky is still dark," he murmurs.

"Hm?" Teshimine copies the motion and looks up himself. Ginji's right – the thick clouds are still black with thunder and anger, hanging low around the Fortress like a shield.

"It's not storming anymore," Ginji continues, with a brief glance to his companion, "But the sky is still dark... the clouds aren't going away. Something is wrong." He hopes that Teshimine understands his concerns.

He's rewarded by the gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your friends will be alright, Ginji," he's told, "You must believe in them."

"I do, Teshimine," Ginji insists, "Ban never surrenders a job."

"And he will not surrender this one," Teshimine tells him. "Nor will the others. They will fix the things that are wrong, and they will get back the Emperor for you."

It's here that Ginji has the urge to move away just a little, turning mournful eyes onto his mentor. "But Teshimine... I don't know that I want the Emperor back."

**X X X**

_The Lightning Emperor of the Limitless Fortress was not a man adjusted to walking behind others, even when he was not sure where he was going. It bothered him that he had no choice, here – he could not object to being lead by this self-titled God. This child's body was too weak to be any good in a confrontation and he did not yet know the capacity of his enemy. _

_He knew there was unspeakable power within that small frame: it had forced him to leave Ginji, he had been made to manifest someone else. That was all he knew, for now. It was not enough to justify a reckless attack._

_It did not surprise him that they soon arrived at the same room as before, with the poor lighting and the smell of soil thick in the air. It also did not surprise him that the little man took immediate position on the dias, where the lighting was a little better. He did not follow, choosing instead to stay halfway between the dias and the entrance. _

_They watched each other in a long, drawn out silence, until the God cleared his throat and gestured to their cloaked environment. "Like much of Babylon City, this is a room without limitation. This is a room close to the heart of the City itself, and a training ground for those amongst us who fight."_

"_Your story is boring," the Emperor told him in a flat voice. "I do not care for the City."_

_The God had paused, indignant and being interrupted. He soon smiled, the expression malicious as he eyed off the small, female frame across from him. "Is that so?" he said with a smirk. "Perhaps you should, then."_

_The Emperor watched him through narrow eyes, prepared to take on the man no matter the consequences – but paused as a tingling feeling swept across his skin. There was no visual cue in this dark room, no sound... but the Emperor knew that something was coming for him._

_He threw himself to the side in time for a thin metal disc whip past – he'd barely seen it when it had already vanished into the murky dark of the room. The Emperor straightened, senses hyper-alert for the next attack. He was quickly deciding that this new body was a poor fighter – it was too tense in waiting, it did not react to him the way that Ginji did. Ginji knew his limits, knew when a little bit of a push was needed, or when to pull back so that his strikes were accurate._

_He didn't see the next attack until it was almost too late; the disc had returned with three new friends. In dodging this volley the Emperor used far more energy and time than he liked, the body already breathing lightly as he straightened after the attack._

_There was little time to recover; his left shoulder stung with pain as a single disc sliced it open in a split-second before disappearing. The blood seeped down his arm, staining the shirt fabric and proving the final straw._

_The Emperor _did not like _to bleed._

_He made a decision to ignore the threat of the discs, turning towards the God on the far side of the room. "You have chosen a poor host," he accused._

"_Or the Emperor is a poor fighter," came the retort._

""_I am not staying in this body," the Emperor said matter-of-factly. _

_By this point the air around him had thickened with electricity; the light giving some clarity to the room as it zapped across his body. The air itself seemed to hum as it intensified quickly, forcing the God to shield his eyes as the light engulfed the Emperor's small form. Distantly it sounded as though the heavens themselves were breaking open upon the Limitless Fortress: heavy thunder crashed across the building and the room shook._

_In a vivid display of power, a lightning bolt erupted from the Emperor and snaked its way upwards, forcing the ceiling to split as it escaped towards the sky. The sound was deafening – it would be heard all across Shinjuku._

_After a time impossible to measure the raw electric power began to fade, the room gradually going darker and darker until the only light left was the Emperor's glowing form. The sharp brown eyes and spiked blonde hair were imitative of Ginji, purely for the familiarity. Head bowed, he sank to his knees in exhaustion, shoulders sagging as he fought to not only stay conscious, but also to keep hold of the frail form in his arms._

_By virtue of Babylon City's infinite possibilities, the Lightning Emperor had achieved what no-one had ever imagined he could do – true, complete independence._

_The God could only watch in delight._

**X X X**

With the little snake charm hiding in his pocket and nothing but pure pitch-black to stumble his way through, Ban had long ago decided that if he'd gotten as little as one yen every time he wished for a cigarette, he'd have had enough to hire someone to make sure he always had a full pack. He was feeling decidedly irritable about the shenanigans of having to go through a Virtual Reality world _again_, to fight foe _again_, to save someone else's ass _again_, to get lost in the Belt Line _again_, and essentially never get to the damned Babylon City.

Yes, he definitely needed a cigarette.

Or a glow-in-the-dark map. That would have come in handy too.

He'd kept one hand on the wall ever since the door had slammed shut behind him, the texture coarse and rocky under his fingers. Compared to just marching forwards it was no doubt a slower technique in finding the exit, but it was preferable against the option of getting totally lost in a world where he couldn't see a damn thing.

Naturally, when he turned a corner and was greeted by the too-bright shine of an exit, Ban took a moment to dedicate a curse specifically to the anonymous jerk who was trying to ruin his eyes.

Moving towards this potential escape route Ban kept one hand on the wall, taking note that just like the surface under his fingers, the ground under his feet was gaining a steadily more uneven texture. After a few more steps, his head was brushing against an extraordinarily low ceiling, causing the male to duck sharply and glance upwards suspiciously. Discovering that it was in fact a ceiling, a quiet snort left the man as he realised the nature of the VR environment.

Staying at a slight crouch to avoid any further encounters with the ceiling, he moved through the exit, took one look at the new world, and sighed. "A lousy _mountain._"

Didn't they know he was a veteran of this shit?

**X X X**

Teshimine was watching him with an expression that he didn't quite understand and didn't want to question. Instead he stared at the handful of people in the courtyard three stories below, shoulders slumped in personal shame. He knew this made him a bad person – his friends were risking their lives to achieve a goal he didn't share.

"What ... makes you say that, Ginji?" he asked eventually.

Ginji was reluctant to answer at first, but he knew Teshimine – he knew that he would have to answer eventually. "Well... if he was hurt I would want to help. But I don't think he is, Teshimine. If he was hurting then I'd know it. I think... I think he likes where he is."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not," he answers honestly, watching the tiny figures of two children race leaf-boats down a drain. "But he isn't looking for me, and I'm not compelled to look for him, either. I do miss him, but... maybe he's happy being this way."

"Ginji..."

"It's okay, Teshimine," he assures him, "Ban will fix things no matter what, and maybe he'll find the Emperor too. If he doesn't find him, that's okay too."

"Are you sure that's how you want things to be?"

"Yeah." He can tell that Teshimine doesn't really grasp why he's choosing this path... but that's alright. Ginji knows that things will work out for the best. They always have.

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	13. Sight and Sound

**Three Day Storm**

**#12: Sight and Sound**

**X X X**

Any other fighter may have thought they had been returned to Lower Town.

Simulated children ran down the alley in packs, pretending to bump into the solitary fighter who strode forwards in his stoic fashion. They were chastised by milling adults with that same false reality behind them, trying to catch the attention of the man as their programming instructed them to.

But Juubei couldn't see these fine details and therefore the scenario was lost on him. With no desire to figure it out, he walked forwards with that steady fearlessness that was so characteristic of the man. There was a just one goal at the front of his mind. If he got through this obstacle, he could rejoin Kazuki and the others, and continue the recovery. To fail was unthinkable - so forwards he would walk, until he could walk no more.

**X X X**

Kazuki had to admire the craftsmanship of what lay beyond his door. He had just stepped out of the very same Bakery that served as a gateway to the Beltline - or at least, a building that _looked_ like it.

As the door swung shut behind him, the young man finished tying the little piece of string he had pulled from the door around one delicate wrist. Kazuki wanted it to sit there as there as a quiet reminder that this world was not real.

It whispered against his skin as he moved off and down the street, the pace slow but hardly a stroll. He was not particularly thrilled by having to go through this obstacle - he shared the others' dislike for it, particularly after past experiences. But he was here now, with no choice but to search for the challenge he had to overcome.

He paused to watch as a small group of children ran past, giggling and shrieking at each other along the way. As they rounded the corner, soft brown eyes caught something they had not expected to see.

"Ren?" Kazuki took a step or two forwards, trying to remind himself that it was most likely a simple illusion from the Brain Trust. The figure of the young woman stood at the far end of the alley, waving and smiling at him - encouraging him to come forwards even though his instincts warned that he shouldn't.

It took a great deal of effort for Kazuki to take a step backwards, but he managed to do it with a shake of his head. This Ren wasn't real - he didn't want to walk into the obvious trap.

The illusion's smile vanished, the hand dropping to its side. Ren's face turned into an expression of sorrow, the woman's shoulders slumping as she turned to go around the corner.

"- Wait -" Kazuki was following before he really understood why, compelled by the need to help the _real_ Ren, wherever she was. He broke into a light jog, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he approached the corner. Swift steps carried him around it, instincts protesting against the motion and warning him of the dangers in front. Kazuki _knew_ there was a trap here, knew he would be attacked - knew that if he didn't follow, he stood a chance at losing any opportunity to help Ren. What if it _wasn't_ false? He'd never know if he didn't look.

The danger struck him the moment he'd turned the corner, Ren no longer in sight and a _colossal_ black panther in the way. Crouched low to the ground, it watched him with large yellow eyes, the lethal claws flexing against the ground as it stared him down.

Kazuki had stopped the moment he caught sight of the black shape and the bell between his fingers tinkled slightly as he shifted to a fighting stance. His expression was grim as he pushed his concerns about Ren to the corners of his mind, instead focusing on the battle at hand. The string around his wrist maintained its purpose as he watched the panther, waiting for its attack.

Attack it did, springing forward with surprising agility for something its size. Kazuki slid to the side, calling upon his craft to strike where he expected the panther to land. It was a blow that missed, the creature already rebounding to try again. Kazuki was forced to dodge once more, ducking his head to avoid the sharp claws that extended just for him.

When he straightened there was no more of that soft gentleness that the Threadmaster was so known for. He remained utterly graceful as he escaped a third and forth attack. but now his doe eyes had taken on a decidedly harder attribute, delicate mouth in a firm line and a small frown creasing his brow. There was something peculiar about this animal's attacks, that he just… couldn't quite figure out. After being around Shido for so many years, Kazuki had learnt some of the finer details about the animals that his friend connected with. This panther was aggressive - it launched for him, he moved, it tried again. There were no greater tactics than that…

With a shake of his head, Kazuki reminded himself that this panther _wasn't_ real. This was just programming from the Brain Trust, trying to deceive him and distract him -

Oh, _no._

**X X X**

Little pebbles and larger cobbles slid away from his feet, clattering down the mountainside with every step. Ban paused to watch them slide over the edge and into the abyss far below. Despite himself, he had to grumble a mark of respect to the designer of this Reality. It was harder than he thought, to maintain that it was completely false - he'd just been walking down endless steel hallways, of _course_ it was going to be false.

As long as he maintained that belief, he would win his fights. All it would take would be a split-second of hesitation; a momentary belief that maybe there _was _a long way to fall, that if he lost his footing he'd be gone for good. Doing that would just make a big mess of _everything_, wouldn't it.

Maybe he could ask Shido to experiment for him, wherever the monkey-boy had gotten to.

With a foot resting idly atop a small boulder, a small noise of disgust escaped him - his damn glasses were dirty. Pulling them off, he idly cleaned the lenses with a corner of his shirt, watching the landscape in front and below as he did so.

As such, he didn't see the oversized silhouette behind him, as it lurked on the edge of an overhanging cliff face.

Well, not until it was a whole damn lot closer

With the spread of wide wings, it lifted into the sky and circled down towards him, cutting through the air with an effortless grace that somehow didn't seem to suit its enormous size. Feathers gleamed black under the mountain sun, ten deadly talons and a cruel beak flashing silver. The Roc shrieked at Ban as it made a descent, keen to wipe him out as swiftly as possible.

The lithe man had turned well in advance, jagan glasses held lazily in one hand as he watched the incoming enemy. It was hard to say whether or not he was aware of the grin he wore, posture straightening as he boldly watched the oncoming attack. "You're late," he told the bird lazily, lifting a hand to slide the glasses back on. "A bit annoying, don't you think?"

**X X X**

By now, Juubei wasn't really sure how long he had been walking for. He had completely lost track of his steps, too preoccupied with the search for something familiar.

Then, he was granted one small boon. It was a faint sound, one that only lasted a millisecond - but he _knew_ he had heard Kazuki's bells. He stopped walking altogether and quietened his breathing, listening intently. It came again, this time much closer. Juubei frowned - it was a particular noise that Kazuki's bells gave when preparing for a fight… that meant his friend was in trouble, didn't it.

Fists flexing in anxiety, he moved forwards at a jog, heading for the sounds as his instincts told him to. He didn't realise how close he was to Kazuki until he heard the male dodge a foe - it sounded like it had been just an arm's length away. Juubei twisted towards the noise, this time picking a slower pace so he could triangulate where Kazuki was.

As he moved his instincts tweaked - trusting them, he threw himself to the side in time to dodge the lethal end of an attack. He swore under his breath as he found his footing - could Kazuki not see him? Was the Virtual Reality playing tricks on his friend?

Listening acutely Juubei tried again, but it continued this way for some minutes. Kazuki seemed to slip away each time he got closer, retaliating with such an intensity of blows that Juubei could only think he was somehow in the way. He didn't understand it, though - Kazuki would have warned him if that was true, or done something to draw the fight away. Or… or he'd be able to sense the enemy, which he couldn't.

Frustrated by his lack of success, Juubei was considering that this was some sort of advanced Virtual Reality trick, when at _last _he heard Kazuki stop moving. He could tell that it was close and took the chance, moving forwards swiftly with a hand out. His fingers touched the fabric of a shirt he was familiar with, gripping it and the shoulder underneath. "_Kazuki_!"

The warmth of his friend's skin and the tension of muscles told Juubei that this wasn't fake - _why_, then, did Kazuki pull away from him? Juubei reached out again, this time taking a firmer hold on his friend. "Kazuki - are you there?"

In a motion he wasn't completely prepared for, Kazuki pulled himself away sharply - in hanging on, Juubei caused a brief tug-o-war. As he pulled back to stop his friend from escaping anywhere, the Threadmaster pulled just as hard. It cost Juubei his balance. A stumble, a twist and a dash of gravity caused him to lurch forwards unsteadily. He was vaguely aware that Kazuki hadn't expected the change in balance either, keen ears hearing a soft exclamation from the fighter as they both hit the ground.

Later, Juubei would find the time to be angry at himself for such a rudimentary mistake.

For now, he wavered precariously on his knees, one hand on Kazuki's shoulder. From what he could tell his friend was sprawled on his back, still tense and seconds away from lashing out with his deadly threads. He reached out, fingers closing around the hand which held the bells.

"Kazuki - Kazuki? It's _alright_," he said, "I -" he trailed off, little finger rubbing across a texture that he didn't recognise.

It was string, that was certain; a little loop tied around his wrist - but it couldn't be Kazuki's. It was full of negative energy. He was sure he knew where it had come from - he remembered Kazuki telling them that there was string tied around the handle of his door. Juubei hadn't realised that Kazuki took it with him… was that why he wasn't speaking, wasn't responding to him? Had the others taken theirs, also?

Juubei chose to question the full details later, unsheathing a thin needle with his free hand. "You are poisoned, my friend," he murmured quietly. "I will heal you."

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	14. Of Cures and Remedies

**Three Day Storm**

**#13: Of Cures and Remedies**

**X X X**

Kazuki had forgotten how hard it was to fight an enemy that knew _all_ of your moves. When they knew how and when you acted, it became almost impossible to defeat that enemy.

Distracted by his thoughts, Kazuki wasn't prepared when the panther lunged for him and succeeded, deadly jaws closing around his forearm. He had to twist to retaliate and as he pulled away, he lost his balance. Gravity threw him to the ground, arm still caught between the teeth of his predator and tearing the skin. In the half-second it took to land, Kazuki knew he had lost the fight.

An oversized paw planted itself in the middle of his chest before the man could move to try and get up, jaws tightening on his arm to reinforce the notion. Thin trails of blood leaked their way between savage teeth as the panther towered over him, growling as it held onto him.

With a wince the man took the hint and stilled, trying to remind himself firmly that this wasn't real – he wasn't _actually_ injured, he wasn't _actually _going to die... he wasn't allowed to, anyway. Kazuki closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain in his arm. He had a job to do, had a goal to find and an Emperor to retrieve. He wasn't _weak_, he couldn't die on his back like some amateur from Lower Town. What would the others say if he did? Ban would make a remark about dying like a girl, he knew that. Shido, Ginji... they'd never forgive him – and _Juubei..._ how could he do that to his greatest friend?

He didn't know why, but for some reason, Juubei's image floated to the front of his mind.

_"I will heal you."_

"Juubei?" How – _where_? Kazuki's eyes snapped open, expecting to be greeted by the vivid yellow eyes of the panther. Instead, his heart skipped a beat as he saw something completely different. "- Juubei!"

His friend was kneeling over the top of him, a needle in one hand and bearing a weary smile as he gently let go of Kazuki's wrist – a clean, _undamaged_ wrist. "Hello, friend -" Juubei was cut off as Kazuki sat up completely, arms sliding around the broader form to pull him into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Juubei," Kazuki told him in a voice muffled against his shoulder, "I almost gave up."

He smiled as he felt Juubei return the hold. "Defeat does not suit you, Kazuki," he heard Juubei say, "I would not let it happen that way."

"Thank you, Juubei," Kazuki sais, letting go and moving to stand.

Juubei copied the motion. "I do not know how the others are faring, but I feel we must find them."

Kazuki agreed with a short nod, looking down the virtual street, then back the way he had come. Where the panther had come from, and why it had vanished? Had Juubei fought it off? He would have to find out later on – they had to find the others first. "Let's go."

With a nod of assent from his partner, Kazuki moved off in the direction he'd been going originally. He knew that there would be no exit back the way he'd come – the only way out was forwards. He heard Juubei fall into step just behind him and was comforted by it – he wasn't alone anymore.

**X X X**

Meanwhile, Shido found himself wondering why they didn't do more recovery jobs outside of the city. With both hands deep in his pockets and his charm riding around his neck, the Beastmaster was trekking his way along a rocky mountain ridge courtesy of the VR unit he'd entered. It was creative, he'd give them that – but it was achingly devoid of the life you found on the side of a real mountain. Out of boredom he kicked at a stone, watching as it skidded through the dirt, creating a trail of dust before it slid over the edge of the ridge. With nothing better to do he followed the path the stone had taken, wandering up to the edge and looking over with disinterest.

Well, now. He hadn't expected to see _that_.

Shido found himself standing very still, suddenly wishing that he was on a very different terrain. He watched the little stone slide the rest of the way down the hill, collecting a range of smaller fragments along the way. It created a fair-sized noise, one he was certain would alert the _goddamn Basilisk_ of his presence.

Coloured a vibrant green, the reptile was slowly making its way along the ridge below. Shido was certain it had to be as big as a house. As he watched the stones gather speed and noise, Shido made a quick decision. It would be better to ambush than to be attacked. Crouching down, he gathered his strength and leaped from the edge, somersaulting through the air with a cry of, "Beast Mimicry – Air Dragon!"

By the time he landed the Basilisk was aware of him, rearing up with its mouth open in an ugly hiss. Lunging forwards, it was swift to close the distance between them but Shido was swifter for the moment, jumping into the air to avoid being bitten by fangs bigger than him. He landed on the body of snake itself and instantly leapt to climb higher – his path was cut short by the tail slamming into him.

Thrown to the side, Shido slammed into the side of the cliff backwards.

**X X X**

Fucking birds.

Poised halfway along the ridge, where he'd been before the damned Roc went for him, Ban watched with a smirk as it peeled itself off of the face of the cliff. He had every intention of beating the crap out of this fake enemy, _partially _out of sheer dislike for the whole scenario.

Mostly, it was because he'd dropped his glasses and it was all the fault of that damned bird.

Ban took a moment to look around again, just in case they were closer than he thought. After all, anti-Jagan glasses were expensive to acquire and hard to replace. Taking his eyes off the enemy didn't worry him – this was nothing compared to his last visit to a virtual sparring match. It was a shame, actually, that this bird was a complete fabrication – he couldn't kill it... though he could make it _wish _it was dead.

The Roc had taken to the air again, circling through the sky overhead. Ban watched it shift angle and descend again, shrieking at him as it came in for the next attack.

Ban waited until the very last moment before jumping into the air, a hand lashing out to strike at the bird. It worked, his inertia providing enough time to grab the creature around the neck, fingers clamping down on the glossy black feathers. He began to fall backwards then, the hold forcing the Roc to fall with him. They plummeted towards the earth together, the Roc battering him with its wings as it tried to separate from the man before they both hit the ground.

Ban braced against it, twisting them around so that the lousy bird would take the brunt of the fall.

They hit the ground at full force and Ban was already making his next move, letting go of the bird and bounding away. Stopping a distance away, he was content to stand and wait for the Roc to pick itself up, his grin malicious as he watched it move slower than before.

It didn't cross his mind that a true virtual enemy wouldn't be affected by the injuries he'd given it.

**X X X**

Shido had promised himself to find out just who had designed this Basilisk – he had a bone to pick with them, that was for sure. With a grunt of pain he picked himself up from the hard ground he'd just been thrown into, pulling at his energy reserves to get his balance and strength up to par. "I hate snakes," he muttered to himself, a wary eye on the reptile. Arching into the air, the Basilisk watched him acutely, forked tongue sliding in and out of its mouth as it waited for him to make the next move. Shido didn't know what irritated him more – that he hadn't yet landed a blow on the beast, or that it seemed smug about that fact.

Shido was an excellent fighter in his own right, and his reputation was a well-earned one. But the Basilisk was better – faster, stronger, and it had the will of the Brain Trust on its side to boot. For the moment, it had the upper hand.

Gathering himself, Shido sprang forwards, determined to make progress this time around. He successfully made it past an attempt by the Basilisk to slam him backwards with its body, but it was too fast, too good for him to avoid the rebound. For the second time that tail whipped through the air, choosing to curl around his frame and squeeze tightly.

With his freedom stifled, Shido snarled and with the last of his breath switched to the mimicry of a rat, twisting his body to try and bite into the scales which were wrapped around him, before they constricted any more. He was rewarded with an angry hiss from the snake and a loosening of the hold around him – enough for the man to wriggle free and drop back to the earth.

Though Shido knew it wasn't much, there was no time to stop and observe the level of damage he had done. He landed in a crouch which turned into a roll so that he could absorb the impact of the fall, straightening afterwards with every intention of pressing his split-second advantage.

As he stepped forwards, the move was interrupted by the sound of three rapid strikes to the ground. Shido was glad that he'd recoiled when he did. Three glowing needles spiked the ground in front of him, delaying his march forwards.

His immediate thought was that they had been spat at him by the Basilisk – after a second look, he knew that wasn't the case. "Juubei?" he demanded, twisting to look for the fighter. Sharp eyes found his silhouette on the cliff face overhead, Kazuki's leaner frame next to it. Juubei leaped forwards and landed next to him, offering a smile as he boldly ignored the snarling, hissing Basilisk that Kazuki had now engaged with.

"This fight is mine," Shido warned, watching the Threadmaster's involvement with distaste.

Juubei shook his head, head turning in the direction of the sparring match. "I do not think that is an enemy you have value in defeating," he answered. "The Beltline has tricked you."

"That's none of your business," Shido told him, more than a little agitated at being interrupted this way. He took a step forwards -

_Crunch-_

-and quickly retracted it. Shido glanced downwards and followed it with a noise of surprise. He stooped to pick up a pair of now-quite-battered purple tinted glasses.

"When was Ban here?"

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


	15. Eyes Opened

**Three Day Storm**

**#14: Eyes Opened**

**X X X**

The Roc seemed to be on its last legs, staying on the ground and showing an obvious difficulty in getting back up. Ban grinned to himself, amused at the Belt Line's failure to give him a proper challenge. He was getting cocky and he knew it - any minute now, something three times as strong would ambush him from behind, coming to the Roc's aid.

Ah, let it happen, Ban decided. With everything that was happening, he was in the mood for exercise.

Gathering himself, Ban bounded forwards to make his next attack, eyes intent on his target. At the last second something to the side _moved_ - it was enough for Ban to change his trajectory in a split-second. Fully prepared to attack this new target and get back to the Roc, only years of self-discipline helped him brake when he saw his new opponent.

"Kazuki," Ban spat, a little unnerved by the man's appearance - but moreso that he hadn't felt the approach. What else was the VR hiding from him?

"Ban. You cannot finish this fight."

"Tch. I didn't ask for your opinion. I'm going to beat the crap out of that bird," Ban said, turning back to the Roc. Interestingly, it hadn't gone anywhere. He must have hurt it more than he thought. "Stand aside, Kazuki."

With the speed and the agility that Kazuki was known for, thread lashed out, catching both of Ban's arms.

Ban pulled against it with a growl but didn't try to escape - not yet, anyway. "Back off, pretty boy. This isn't your fight."

With a neat jump, the Threadmaster had landed next to Ban, a hand sliding into one of the thief's pockets. "But you are an ally, Ban, and for that reason -" his hand slid out again, the little snake charm in his fingers. "I will protect you against yourself."

**X X X**

"When was Ban here?"

The question came with a glance to Juubei, whose attention was clearly not on Shido at that moment, but on Kazuki. Looking over as well, Shido frowned at the sight - he really did not like having his fights interfered with, ever. If he could not defeat an enemy on his own, how could he protect Madoka?

As Kazuki snared the Basilisk in a net, Juubei turned back to Shido. Straightening, Shido held up Ban's glasses and repeated his question. "When was Ban here?"

Juubei seemed to ignore it, reaching out. Taken aback, Shido didn't think to move until Juubei had his hand on the charm that he'd nicked from the door.

"Ban has always been here," Juubei said. With a sharp tug the string snapped, allowing for the charm to be thrown to the ground. In that same motion Juubei flicked a needle out and speared it to the ground, causing the tooth to shatter.

Shido felt his skin tingle, his senses coming back to life in a way that made him realise they'd been dulled. Watching the shards came to rest on the dirt, he chose to hide those feelings with a sceptical snort. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked Juubei, absently toying with the glasses.

"Look," the man said, nodding back towards Kazuki and the Basilisk.

Except it _wasn't _a Basilisk - it was Ban. A pissed off - _really_ pissed off Ban.

Shido looked to the glasses in his hands with a scowl. "Damnit. I should have known."

"Perhaps," Juubei said, still focused on the distant pair. "But it is easy to be deceived when the world seems to be in its place."

"Oi, Monkey-boy!"

Shido's attention snapped to Ban. Kazuki seemed to have released him and now the pair was making their way back. His eyes narrowed with the temptation to stomp on Ban's glasses. "What?"

"You fight like shit," Ban said, as they got closer.

Shido growled, turning defensive. "For an enemy, so do you."

"Oh yeah? -" Ban broke off, a thief's hand out to swipe his glasses back. Shido didn't stop him, watching with that same scowl. Ban held them up against the VR sun, tilting them to get a good look at the damage. "Not even a house-trained monkey can keep itself from ruining things," he said with a sigh, pocketing the glasses. If he felt vulnerable without his trademark defense, nothing was said of it.

"I didn't do it!" Shido said, bristling at the accusation.

"I heard you step on them," Juubei put in unhelpfully.

Shido huffed at this, surrendering the match. He watched Ban fold the glasses up and slip them into his pocket, then shot a glance at Kazuki. "Timed things well, didn't you," he said, a little more venomously than necessary. He was still sore about having the fight taken from him and although a part of him knew it was for the greater good, the fact that the Beltline had managed to trick him so effectively only compounded the injury his pride had suffered.

Kazuki took it in his stride, now at Juubei's side. He deflected Shido's look by nodding towards his blind companion. "It was Juubei's timing," he said, "He was not affected by the Beltline's trick like we were."

"The charms that you, Ban and Kazuki took were cursed," Juubei added, "I am not sure how, but it was they which allowed you to be tricked."

"So when we took them as a reminder of reality, they lured us in and we fought each other," Ban said with one of his sceptical snorts, "Clever."

"I'm glad you think so," Shido said, "So how do we get out of here? Juubei?"

"I do not think I would be of much help," Juubei said, "I am aware that what you see is not real, but the way out is not apparent to me."

"Heh. Fortunate that you aren't in charge," Ban said, turning away from the group to eye off the surroundings. He needed Shido's mimicry to determine the limitations of the room they were in, but wasn't about to say it.

"And you are?" Shido challenged, immediately rising to the bait. In the background, Kazuki's irritated sigh was decidedly unsubtle.

"Nope," Ban said breezily, "Monkeys aren't the type to take orders anyway, you know."

"You say that like snakes are any better," Shido said, body tense with the premature inclination to fight. "You'd be up shit creek if we weren't here."

"Is that so?" Ban asked, looking back over his shoulder to the Beastmaster. After a moment, he smirked. "You don't even know the way out of here."

Shido snorted with contempt, bringing his hands together. "We'll see about that. Beast Mimicry - Bat of the night!"

Ban didn't hide his grin but held back any further taunts - he had subtly gotten his way and was entirely satisfied with that. He waited as Shido, armed with the radar-like hearing of a bat, probed the extent of the room with his eyes shut.

"This way," Shido said, eyes still shut as he began to walk. Ban passed a doubtful look to a weary-faced Kazuki, but complied and fell into a dawdling pace behind his ally. If they were lead over a cliff face he was going to have a bone to pick with Monkey-boy, then the Beltline, Makubex, and that damn mudhead for getting himself into trouble in the first place.

**X X X**

Standing tall and powerful in the center of this peculiar room, the Emperor wasn't sure how much time had passed. He was aware of the fact that his former host – the little Ren – had passed out at his feet after confusing the enemy for her grandfather, body ravaged by the toll of having the Emperor force a separation. The short man, whose power he still did not understand, stood not too far away – in fact, he was far too close.

A snap of electricity lashed out with this thought, and struck the ground between them as a warning. The Emperor's cold expression – a face eerily like Ginji's, even devoid of his true host – did not wan, even as the man smirked at him in response.

"This is your domain, now."

It did not escape the Emperor's notice that the man moved no closer. He shook his head at the welcome, loathing the idea. "I am here until Ginji is ready to receive me once more," he said, adamant that this would happen.

"Is that so?" the little man's smirk transformed into a sneer that turned his face evil. "You are keen to assume that Ginji laments your separation."

"It is not a matter of emotions," the Emperor dismissed, "I will not be here forever, for Ginji will not be without me forever."

"His allies travel to the Beltline at this moment." A wave of the hand triggered a hologram, and after the glare faded, Ban and his allies became visible. They were approaching the elevator that the Emperor knew would bring them here, and his fingers flexed in anticipation. He was aware of the fact that this so-called God was watching him with an inherently malicious look. "Do you remember what I told you, Emperor? Your data does not exist in Lower Town. Ginji will have to come _here_ to find you, and he is far too weak to do that. The pursuit of his allies will be in vain."

The Emperor snarled, and a fresh bolt of electrical current struck the hologram. It caused the image to waver, but did no other damage. "I do not like this arrangement," he said.

"I am sure you don't," came the easy reply. "But it seems you have little choice in the matter, my friend."

"I do if I destroy you," the Emperor said, levelling a glare at his enemy.

"An ill choice to make, Emperor. Babylon City is the home of the Gods and a dangerous place. You would do well to stay, for here you can become more than the Lightning Emperor of the Limitless Fortress."

"You think I can become a God."

"No. I can _make _you a God."

**X X X**

**To be continued.**


End file.
